In my defense
by Dreamingfox
Summary: Desperate for a DADA professor, Dumbledore looks well outside the box. AU OotP Rated M to be safe. Happosai trains Harry while Ranma meets Lucius Malfoy.
1. Chapter 1

It started as a whispered rumor spread by drunken travelers but that was the sort of material that the aged wizard specialized in tracking down. Many in the re-established Order of the Phoenix had expected him to make a greater stand against the Ministry's blatant lies, but he knew that there was only so much he could do. In the years since Dumbledore had turned down the position of Minister of Magic many had distanced themselves from the wizard that many considered their greatest and brightest hope as they sought to establish they realized that he was not playing the same political games as they were.

In truth the Ministry had little to offer him, though there were those within the Order who were better at those games. It was a sign of his trust in them that he allowed them to make their subtle inquiries about who could be trusted to take up arms when Tom and his fanatical followers eventually turned up. Each member of the Order had a purpose, and though the others looked to him to lead, Dumbledore knew that he needed to investigate the strange rumors that had reached his ear.

"They say that a fierce battle was waged in the east," Mundungus Fletcher had told him. "An entire mountain was leveled and the valley laid to waste."

In his youth Dumbledore had planned to travel the world as most young witches and wizards of that day did when they completed their education at Hogwarts. There were so many different cultures and peoples even in the secretive and hidden magical communities, though most nations had their own ministry of magic to regulate the interactions of magical and non-magical communities. Alas that was one of many things that he had not been able to do as a youth. His recent travels to other countries limited him to dealing with foreign ministry officials and prevented him from seeing the true cultures of the various nations that he traveled to.

Resisting the urge to explore the east, Dumbledore focused on the task at hand. Though he had never traveled to China he knew enough to start in Hong Kong then made his way up into the mainland. To the non-magical China was one nation, but to the magical world it was three nations each fielding their own teams for international competitions (though rarely making past the qualifying rounds). What surprised Dumbledore was that the incident in question occurred right along the border where all three of the magical nations met and near two magical communities though it appeared as though no one had anything out the incident.

A lesser man would have been confounded and even given up in the face of ministry stonewalling, but not Dumbledore. Mundungus would have felt at home here but the well known and upstanding wizard stood out like a broken finger. None would mention seeing him to anyone else as no one wanted anything to do with him.

Witches and wizards were quickly eliminated as possible sources of information, forcing him to seek other avenues away from the usual magical communities.

"Jusenkyo valley was considered neutral," the balding squib stated. "Cursed land that neither wanted but both needed. Only the most desperate of travelers ventures into the valley, though the Amazons use it to punish and the Musk… well, they have their own uses for the cursed springs. With the valley destroyed everyone is scrambling to find other methods of… maintaining the status quo."

From the way the squib spoke it was clear that he too was skirting the issue, though he was the most forthcoming source of information. Within his battered shop the aging man was more pliant. "Unlike the other guides, I run a legitimate operation. I keep track of my clients," he said over a cup of tea. His gaze went to the weathered book at the end of the counter. "It is also my duty to keep track of those who have frequented the springs and list their curses. I keep a very thorough

Dumbledore nodded, "It appears you do." Reaching for the guest book the old wizard eyed the writing. While he could not understand the writing his enchanted glasses quickly deciphered the names. Setting the book down, he extracted several gallons and placed them on the saucer beside his own cup of tea. "Thank you for your time."

It was fortunate that he found himself in Jusenkyo as Apparation and use of Portkeys were not regulated in the unclaimed valley as the magical energies of the springs made it impossible. By the time the squib had finished his tea Dumbledore was already in Japan.

Like London, Tokyo had a long history and tiny pockets of magic hidden beneath the towering modern buildings that graced the skyline. As a bustling city there was so much going on that few paid heed to the a robed man wandering amongst them. There were many who were decked out in outlandish outfits, almost as though such dress was accepted.

Using Mundungus' contacts it did not take long for Dumbledore to track down It did not take him long to find Ranma Saotome as others were looking for him as well.

"Ranma – prepare to die!"

The cry sent the walkers to far side of the street as everyone made way for the apparent duel. Only a young man, his long hair tied into a short pigtail, refused to let the outcry hinder his stroll. The challenger, another young man wearing a worn yellow shirt, black pants, and a yellow and black bandana launched himself from the street at the pigtailed boy. The man known as Ranma casually leapt over his attacker without the aid of a wand. The missed attack, a powerfully jabbed index finger ruptured the street sending shards of concrete spraying into the air.

Dumbledore silently marveled at the speed and power displayed as the attacker flew at his target. He'd heard tell of masters of the martial arts in the East, but had never paid it any serious thought until now. There was a magic behind the attacks and counter attacks, but nothing like anything that Dumbledore had ever felt or witnessed before. Fascinated he watched their duel as it moved from the street to an abandoned lot, noting that the lay people were uninterested in the fight or the destruction caused aside from moving around the craters or kicking aside bits of concrete.

Out of the corner of his eye Dumbledore noticed several witches and wizards shaking their heads as they walked the street and eyed the damage. Only an odd wizard in white stopped to place slips of paper on the street and buildings. By the time the two fighters had retreated to the abandoned lot the muggles in the area had dispersed as a result of the muggle-repellant charms.

"Does this happen often?" he dared to test his own limited Japanese

"Almost every day," the wizard replied as he prepared another set of charms.

"Why not use strengthening enchantments on the street to mitigate the damage?" he ventured to suggest.

"I have; if I didn't the entire street would be in shambles, and half the bystanders would have been injured." The tiny wizard shook his head. "At least Saotome led Hibiki away quickly.

"Before you ask why we don't do anything to them, we've tried. Hibiki's underaged and we can't stop Saotome from trying to defend himself; we've tried to contact the elder Hibiki but he's elusive nor can we find those who instructed the younger Hibiki so recklessly. No one knows where anyone else in the Hibiki family is most of the time other than when the younger Hibiki is attacking Saotome."

Dumbledore took a moment to ponder the facts presented to him.

"Your first time in Japan?" the other wizard asked.

"Yes."

"I'd suggest staying away from Nerima if you know what's best for you," the man advised. Shaking his head he turned away from Dumbledore. "You're here to check out the fights, aren't you? There aren't many western wizards who are interested in Eastern magic, much less the type that those boys use. If you're really interested I suggest seeing the witch at the Cat Café; she can point out some of the more interesting sights as well as how to avoid the trouble areas."

Taking the local wizard's advice, Dumbledore found his way to the Cat Café. The cozy restaurant was not used to suiting a person of his height, but the witch was accommodating as she waved at the chair so that it grew to support his frame.

"You've traveled a long way," she stated as she looked him over. "Unfortunately we don't serve scones, but our ginseng green tea is remarkable."

"I'd like that," he said, hopping that his best Mandarin was sufficient. He watched her bounce around the shop on her cane as casually as anyone else would walk.

The restaurant was fairly vacant though the young wizard in back was busy filling out orders for the buxom young witch to deliver. From the style of clothes that the trio wore it was evident that they were not from Nerima or Japan.

Upon her return the witch poured herself and him a cup of steaming tea before claiming the seat opposite him. "What brings you to Nerima?" she asked in Mandarin

Seeing as how the woman was being very up front with him Dumbledore thought it best that he be honest and straightforward with her. "The Jusenkyo incident."

"Incident?" she smirked. "Is that what they're calling it?"

He shrugged, "It's what I'm calling it."

"Why would you be interested in that when there is supposed to be much worse happening in your neck of the woods?"

Dumbledore took a light sip of his tea as he looked over the clever witch across from him. "I wanted to know how capable Ranma Saotome really is."

It was the woman's turn to look him over again as she pondered the meaning of his words. Huffing (or was it a sigh?) she turned her head slightly towards the delivery witch. "Shampoo, can you deliver a dinner to the Tendos?"

"Yes Grandmother," the girl's voice was enthusiastic and cheerful.

"Tell Son-in-law that I need to see him immediately," the old witch added. "If you see Happosai tell him to come too."

* * *

For the first time in a long time Ranma felt excited. It wasn't the feeling he had of mastering a new style or technique or even from besting Happosai or Cologne the first few times. He wasn't even sure how to explain it really. All he really knew was that it was in part due to the fact that he now had purpose and something to work towards.

Before the wedding he had always assumed that he would just inherit the Tendo Dojo after marrying Akane, but after the failed wedding with the increased tension between him and Akane, Ranma could honestly say that he was not looking forward to that scenario being fulfilled. He knew that they both still cared about each other, but both knew that it would take more than that if they wanted to be happy together.

The job in England was meant to give them both time apart to grow as individuals and if all else failed Ranma could always marry Nabiki or Kasumi. It also helped that he was legally an adult now, though only in the magical community.

The one downside to his lessons in magic was learning that in reality there probably was no cure for his curse. Magic of that magnitude was beyond what any current magic user was capable of and had not been performed in centuries. Such magic was considered god-level magic, though having fought some self-proclaimed gods, Ranma was sure that such magic had to be performed by a higher pantheon of gods. Still, the knowledge that there was no cure allowed him to move on with his life in a way.

Breathing a happy sigh, he settled into the spacious compartment. The long trip to England had provided him with many firsts – first time as a paid customer on a boat, first training trip with Happosai, his father, and Mr. Tendo; first fight with a werewolf/vampire/ghoul/giant/troll, lessons in magic, and first practical uses of spells/magic. Sure, some of the basics had to be explained such as the affect that different types of paper had on talismans, the affect that the purity of materials that were to be used in seals, using chi to alter or enhance an object, or the use of familiars and elements. Of course there were the philosophical lessons as well but considering that it was the old letch teaching Ranma had only paid a little attention to those lessons.

By the time the quartet had reached France Happosai was confident in Ranma's abilities, though his father and Mr. Tendo were less than enthusiastic in having their junior learn more than them. From the stories that the two had shared it had been obvious that the grandmaster had never actually taught the two how to cast spells and instead been forced to learn on the sly when the grandmaster was drunk and passed out.

Still, the stakes were much higher now. From what Dumbledore had told Ranma, the English magical community was secretly gearing up for a war though their official stance was that nothing was wrong. It was evident from the daily paper, or at least the one read by the magical community, that the ministry was attempting to down play any possible turmoil as well as making Dumbledore appear to be a senile old fool.

As the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Ranma knew that the Ministry and thus the Daily Prophet would target him next as they Minister of Magic sought to discredit Dumbledore. There were several attempts by persistent reporters at trying to hound him for an interview, but thus far he had been able to evade them. The fact that there were no articles about him yet proved that no one knew anything about him yet.

Few thought anything of him slipping through the illusionary barrier that separated platform 9 ¾ from King's Cross station as many youths and their families were set to embark upon another school year at Hogwarts. In no time at all he was aboard the train (a paid customer even!) and had settled into a spacious compartment. Most of the early arrivals passed the compartment by, only stopping to see if one of their friends was inside before moving on.

It was a rare opportunity to people watch, noting how different things were in England than they were back in Japan. Before he would have just scanned the crowd to spot any possible opponents and get a read on their skill level, but now he was scanning the crowd for possible threats and taking note of where the witches and wizards hid their wands.

Wands had been one of the first subjects covered by Happosai when discussing the differences between Eastern and Western styles of magic. Wands were more powerful and quicker than creating talismans and seals, but only if the user was truly master of his/her wand. The flimsy twigs held a magical core, usually a part of some very magical creature, but were fickle and unpredictable. Each wand, like each mage, had different specialties and tendencies. The only problem with wand magic was that most witches or wizards were often powerless without their wand. In essence the wands were the magical equivalent of a Swiss army knife – capable of doing anything, but once you lost the tool you were helpless.

His own wand was acquired after nabbing a rogue wizard in Romania. Happosai had insisted that he keep the wand, in part because the wizard would be less of a threat, and in part because the wand seemed to recognize him as its new master.

The hands of the clock crept towards 11 am as the platform and train began to fill. The wand itself was useful, but he preferred to not use it. The wandmaker that he had visited had not been able to match him with a suitable wand, but had endorsed the idea that Ranma use the captured wand and insisted that he could not buy the wand from Ranma as there was no market for second-hand wands.

Extracting the wand he gave it a careful flick. The wand acquiesced to his command, opening up his satchel and pulling out a tome. Useful, but not something that Ranma wanted to become dependent upon.

Turning his attention to the tome he sheathed the wand in a wrist holster. The position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was daunting, especially for someone who had never instructed anyone before. His task was all the more difficult because he was dealing with a large number of students, though broken down into four or five classes each weekday. The main problem was that because there had yet to be a single professor to make it through an entire academic year which made left gaps in what the students' learned. To remedy that he would have to get back to basics and then push the pace of their lessons, especially for the fifth and seventh years who were set to take their O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. exams.

The tome was a collection of writings that Happosai had collected in his travels detailing how others dealt with various magical creatures and dark arts practitioners. There were also bits that Happosai had written about his own adventures as well as lessons that the Amazons passed on to each successive generation. A second tome comprised of things that Western magi were taught to at least survive their encounters.

Having read and reread both over the past few months he sighed and instead took up a copy of the Daily Prophet. Aside from focusing itself on tarnishing the reputations of Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter the paper did offer some useful news. The Ministry of Magic with the consent of the Hogwarts' Board of Governors had appointed a High Inquisitor. The witch's primary duties were to ensure that Hogwarts' long reputation as one of the finest institutions of magical learning not be tarnished and to assess the quality of the education that the students received.

Ranma knew that it was a direct assault on Dumbledore's authority as the Headmaster had historically appointed each professor without needing prior approval from the board of governor or the Ministry of Magic. With the high turnover for the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor there was some doubt as to the quality of education that the students had received, as referenced by a graph showing the declining scores that correlated with Dumbledore's tenure as Headmaster.

"I haven't even started the job and I've already been challenged," he muttered. The thrill of a challenge sent his heart pumping. Setting the paper aside he reached into his satchel for a third tome. This one contained the academic files of all the students currently enrolled at Hogwarts as well as the unsorted files of the first year students.

By the time the train was set to depart he the thrill of the challenge had worn off. Having read and re-read the files he was confident that he could handle his classes but he knew that he would need to actually gage the classes and the individual students to see how competent they were.

With most of the compartments claimed and some full, it was no wonder that some of the students considered joining him in his compartment.

A pair of attractive twins appeared at the door, rapping in concert before one of them opened the door. "Excuse us, but would you mind if we joined you?"

"Sure, go ahead," he replied. Returning his tomes to the satchel he eyed the girls. "Need a hand?"

The braver of the two girls smiled and nodded before removing her hand from one end of the trunk so that he could assist. With one hand he carefully lifted the trunk and placed it in the overhead compartment. He could tell it was enchanted to hide its size, but it was still a good thirty kilos at least. Both girls were mildly surprised at the casual display of strength.

"I didn't see you charm the trunks," the second twin stated once Ranma had placed her trunk beside her sister's.

"I didn't need a charm," he replied as he took his seat.

"That was at least thirty kilos," the same girl said as she cautiously took the seat across from him.

"Yeah, so?"

"That's impressive," the first said as she slipped in beside her sister. "There aren't many boys who can do that."

He shrugged.

"You've got a funny accent," the second added. "It's almost as if you're from across the pond."

"English isn't my first language," he replied as he looked the girls over. Their dark complexion suggested that they were Indian, but that was as far as he could ascertain.

"That's what I thought." Her dark eyes ran over him again. "Your clothes say Chinese, but you look more Japanese, and then there are those blue eyes… I'd say you're Japanese."

He nodded.

"What brings you to Hogwarts?" the other sister asked abruptly.

"Don't be rude," the second insisted. Reaching out she offered her hand, "My name is Padma Patil and this is my sister Parvati."

"Ranma Saotome," he took her hand and gave it a gentle shake before repeating the gesture with Parvati.

Parvati's hand was noticeably warmer and the girl fought back the urge to giggle. "Pleasure."

'Is this how normal teenagers are supposed to act?' "How do you like Hogwarts?"

The look in the clever girl's eyes suggested that she knew he was the new DADA professor. Padma shrugged, "Okay I guess."

"It's had its moments," Parvati replied. The look in her eyes was something akin to the looks that Shampoo and Kodachi gave him, though much tamer and less aggressive. None the less it sent a slight shiver down his spine. "Last year was fun for the most part."

"I heard that they renewed the Tri-wizard tournament; that sounds like a good opportunity to meet foreign witches and wizards," he interjected.

"It's also pretty dangerous," Padma stated flatly. "Cedric Diggory died – I wouldn't call that interesting or fun."

Another chill filled the compartment.

"You're right," Ranma ceded.

"What's wrong with you Padma?" Parvati asked her twin.

"Don't you see? He's our new Defense Professor."

There was just a brief moment for Padma to soak in the news before the trio was interrupted by the opening of the door to the compartment.

"Padma! How was your summer?" The new girl had wavy dark blond hair and a perky attitude, perfect for ignoring the chill in the compartment. Setting her bags down, she hugged Padma.

"Lavender!" the first twin returned her friend's enthusiastic greeting.

"Parvati," Lavender said curtly as she pulled back from Padma. "Who's the cutie?"

"Ranma Saotome," he answered, "the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

The chill returned even as he aided Lavender with putting her things away.

"It seems the standards really are dropping," Padma stated once the girls had settled back into their seats.

"I wouldn't know," Ranma remarked. "I never went to Hogwarts."

"What kind of education did you get?" Lavender asked. Playing the role of peacemaker did not suit her, but it was clear that she was the most neutral of the three.

"Things work differently in Japan. We don't have formal schools of magic, just a master/apprentice set up. My father taught me some, but it was his master who instructed me."

Padma eyed him skeptically, "Why you?"

Ranma shrugged, "Probably because the grandmaster is too old. We don't have as large a ministry as you do. In the east magi are responsible for dealing with the local issues like monsters, magical creatures, and whatnot, but if something big is going on then they call in an expert. I'm one of those experts."

"Really?" all three girls asked with varying degrees of interest and skepticism.

"I've dealt with a forest of giant animal, an eight headed dragon, a carnivorous plant the size of some skyscrapers, minor demons, ghosts, cursed springs, magical artifacts and rogue magi."

"I've heard that before," Padma scoffed.

"I'm no Lockhart," Ranma insisted. He'd heard of the former professor who had a line of books that detailed his exploits.

"Pro-AH!" cold water splashed the girl, cutting her off before she could demand that he prove himself. It was a mean trick, and only a trick, but it was something that he'd come prepared with. "What did" she heard the difference in her tone.

"What did you do to her?" Parvati shouted only to have Ranma grasp her hands to keep her from drawing her wand.

"I hit her with a curse," he explained. "It turned her into a guy. Don't worry, it's only temporary. And unlike the usual transfiguration I'm sure you didn't feel any discomfort at all as you changed."

Looking at her reflection in the window Padma began to pat herself down.

"Wow Padma," Lavender exclaimed. "You look pretty handsome as a guy."

"Change me back!" Padma demanded as she turned around to face him.

He grinned as he waved his hand, sending a spray of warm water splashing her face and undoing the temporary transformation. "Better?"

Patting herself to ensure that she had changed back, Padma eyed him wirly. "I've never heard of such a spell."

"They could fill entire libraries with what you don't know," he smirked. "Oh wait, they already have."

Releasing Parvati he settled back into his seat. "Not everyone does things the same," he explained. "It's different in the East than it is here. Even the other European communities don't use the same styles of magic as everyone else. I'm here to help prepare you for what's out there. I have loads of experience with being attacked and having to defend myself – experience that I will be passing on to all of you.

"And if you like being a guy I could always arrange for that curse to become more permanent."

Wiping the moisture from her face Padma scowled at him.

"At least I didn't hit you with a lightning bolt or fireball," he added. "I only hit you with a catalyst spell – spells that affects are triggered by something else."

"I've never heard of spells like that," Padma repeated.

Taking her hand, he extracted the seal he'd tagged her with. "The water was the trigger – cool water in particular, warm water to undo it." The ink slowly burned away the paper leaving nothing but ash. "I tagged each of you."

Padma quickly doused her twin and Lavender, triggering their transformations.

Laughing, Ranma settled into his seat.

The atmosphere had changed dramatically once Parvati and Lavender were changed back and dry.

* * *

A/N

Just trying my hand at something.

Dreamingfox


	2. Chapter 2

Darkness greeted Ranma and the students as they disembarked from the Hogwart's Express. The Hogsmead station was on the edge of town, making it all the easier for the half giant grounds keeper and Care of Magical Creatures professor to lead the first year students away as well as for Head Boy and Head Girl along with the Prefects to lead the rest of the students to the carriages.

His initial thought was that it was a trick of the light but as he and the others drew closer to the carriages he was sure that the horse-like creatures had scales and not hair.

"What are those?"

Ranma turned to see a dark haired boy ask as he eyed the creatures tethered to the carriage that his companions were loading.

"There's nothing there Harry," the boy's female companion stated. "The carriages are pulled by magic."

"The kid's right," Ranma interjected. He wasn't sure why but he felt that he should know the boy. "There carriages are being pulled by something."

The busy haired girl huffed indignantly at the notion.

"You see them too, don't you?" Ranma asked as he turned to a sandy haired boy accompanying the other boy and the girl.

The boy in question nodded.

"They're called threstrials," a blond girl with the same group stated. "Only those who have seen death can see them – that's why most students don't see them."

"I've heard of them," Padma added. "It's said that they are omens of bad luck."

"Only because those who can see them have witnessed death," the blond repeated. "They're not the cause of misfortune, but a reminder of misfortune."

"I've never seen you before," the first girl said.

"That's because he's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor," Parvati replied. "Professor Ranma Saotome, this is Hermione Granger, the smartest witch in our year."

"Nice to meet you Hermione," he said as he shook her hand. Turning to the boys beside her he offered his hand.

"Longbottom, Neville Longbottom, sir" the sandy haired boy muttered.

"Harry Potter, sir."

Harry seemed to expect more from Ranma, though what Ranma wasn't sure. There was something about the boy and the name that was supposed to mean something, but Ranma wasn't sure what it was.

"Weasley, Ronald Weasley," a gangly redheaded boy added.

Lavender giggled.

"Luna Lovegood," the blond girl with stars in her eyes added melodically.

"We can save the introductions for later," Ranma said as he noticed the growing crowd waiting to claim the next set of carriages. Slinging his satchel over his shoulder he set off after the first group of carriages.

"You're not riding with us?" Parvati asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

Ranma shook his head. "I need to stretch my legs."

* * *

Few who knew him would claim that Ronald Weasley had a simple life. As the youngest of six sons he was easily overshadowed and daunted by his elder brothers' accomplishments. Charlie had been a quidditch star and eventual captain, Bill was the handsome and charismatic brother who could charm a sphinx, Percy (prat that he was) was a hard worker and had managed to the best grades of all the brothers thus far, Fred and George were the life of the party and as clever as Percy was smart.

It did not help that Ronald's best friends were also bright young stars. Harry Potter, the boy who lived. People still wondered why he had befriended Ron when he could have picked out anyone. Then again, there were those who thought that Harry kept Ronald around just because he needed someone who wouldn't compete with Harry. People wondered about Hermione as well, though many felt that Harry and Ron were perhaps the only ones who could tolerate her. Still, she was the brightest witch of their year, and perhaps generation, though it did not compensate for her lack of charm and personality.

Having grown up as he had, and enduring four years with Harry and Hermione, it was a wonder then that he was even able spare a moment to think or consider anyone else. Yet the off-handed remark by his younger sister's friend had left an impression on him. He hadn't felt it until he'd seen Padma Patil and her twin sister, Parvati Patil, along with a group of others in one of the train compartments having a good time.

Having the emotional range of a dry cup, he paid little heed to the minor nagging feeling, thinking instead that he was perhaps just hungry. The sweets on the train had done nothing towards alleviating that feeling, and then he spotted Padma and her friends by the carriages. With the strange focus on the threstrals or whatever it was that Harry, Neville, Luna, and the new DADA professor could see, Ron had again brushed the feeling aside.

He had continued to ignore the feeling as Harry and Seamus had their row in the Gryffindor common room. It was not until he saw Parvati and heard Lavender giggling at breakfast, that he felt it again. Again he assumed that it was his stomach talking to him but even after consuming copious amounts of sausage, toast, and juice he did not feel relieved.

Ron usually spent the free period after breakfast eating more breakfast while Hermione and Harry mulled over their class schedule.

"Where are you going?" the ever studious Hermione asked as Ron suddenly stood up. Seeing the look he usually had when he wanted to excuse himself to use the loo, she shook her head. "You shouldn't have stuffed your face."

Making his way out of the great hall he spotted the source of his discomfort. Perhaps it was his stupid Gryffindor courage (which had failed him miserably the previous year thank you very much) but Ron found himself marching towards Padma Patil, Ravenclaw's newest prefect. "Padma," he heard himself call out to her, "do you have a moment?"

Turning to her friends and fellow fifth years she shrugged, "Save me a seat! I don't want to miss his lesson."

Finally she turned back to him, an irritated look in her eyes. "Well, what is it?" she huffed.

"I'm sorry," he muttered.

"What?" she scoffed. "You're the one who wanted to talk to me."

He blinked. "I'm sorry," he repeated. "For the ball."

Padma eyed him skeptically, unsure how to take his apology. "Do you believe him?"

The sudden change would have normally thrown the youngest Weasley son off, but the other topic was one that he had grown familiar with lately. "I do."

She eyed him, seeing his faults and merits, "Because you're his best friend?"

"Because I've been through a lot with him," he replied. "Second year we went to save Ginny, but he was the only one to make it down there. Third year with all the demeantors, then the fake Professor Moody last year – I've seen only a portion of what he's endured, but I know that he's not lying. Harry does what he does because he feels that he has too because no one else is willing to do anything."

"What about last year when you two had your row?"

"I was stupid, and jealous," he muttered, unable to look her in the eyes. "Harry's been a better friend to me than I have been to him, but I'm doing what I can for him."

"And what about the rest of us who aren't in his circle of friends?"

"It's no longer just Harry's problem, it hasn't been for a while," Ron explained. He lifted his gaze to meet hers once again. "Do you really think that the Death Eaters and You-Know-Who are going to stop with just getting rid of Harry?

"I know that people are afraid, but are you going to just let your fear overwhelm you or are you going to try to do something about it?"

"We're not all Gryffindors," Padma lamented. "We can't all be brave."

"Then use your clever mind to figure out what would happen to you when You-Know-Who and his lot take over. It may not be the bravest thing to do, but it's the right thing to do."

For a moment the two stood there, not sure what else needed to be said.

"I gotta go," he finally said. "I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry about the ball."

"Thanks," she reached out to him, grabbing his shoulder and smiling warmly at him. "It means a lot – even if it is a few months late."

Ron shrugged. The nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach had vanished during their conversation. Now there was something else bothering him. "No I've got to sort out a few Gryffindors."

* * *

Magic radiated from every surface and structure and even the vary decorations in the castle. Paintings moved as though the figures were actually dressed up actors moving from stage to stage rather than from one painting to another, suits of armor and stone statues followed students and teachers up and down corridors, and of course there were the ghosts that floated throughout the castle. It was breathtaking to see what magic could do, but as Ranma had discovered there was much that it could not do as well.

From the research that he had done since accepting that he could not cure his curse, Ranma surmised that whoever had built Hogwarts had invested a good amount of power into it. The anti-muggle or no-maj wards, anti-scrying wards, anti-disapparation, all of those on top of the shifting corridors, magical ceiling, floating candles, and torches that lit up to illuminate a corridor when someone was present all indicated a serious investment in magical energy from those who had helped build the castle.

As useful as magic could be, Ranma knew that he couldn't depend on it. Magic was a tool, though for far too long it had been a personal foil. The fact that Cologne, Shampoo, and Mousse had used it against him in the past had soured him on magic, but as he studied under Happosai he had begun to see that magic itself was not bad, it was how one used it. Sure, the idiot that had created Jusenkyo was still an idiot, but s/he had not created the springs and magical water thousands of years ago just to screw with Ranma (or the others). It did not make Ranma feel any better about his situation, but it did change how he viewed the people who he had crossed paths with in the past year.

Excitement was in the air as Ranma prepared for his first lesson. Each of his classes were considered "double" classes in that he taught two houses for a two hour block of time. The first lambs to be lead to the slaughter were the fourth year Gryffindors and Slytherins. Thanks to Parvati and Lavender word of the new Defense professor had spread through Gryffindor while Padma and Su had done the same thing in Ravenclaw. The young lions were eager for the lesson.

"I am Professor Saotome," he said, his voice echoing off of the cold stone walls. "Put your books and bags away. I've looked over the transcripts of what you've learned over the past four years. Honestly, I have no idea what you've learned and what you're all capable of. That's why I've decided that today is going to be a practical lesson.

"Everyone, take a step away from your desks."

The students did so, allowing him to banish the desks to the back of the room with a simple wave of his hand. "No curses. Try to incapacitate or subdue only."

Many of the students from one house eyed members of the other eagerly.

"Last one standing gets fifty points."

That caused a slight stir.

"Any questions?" Seeing that there were none, he gave the students a moment to prepare themselves. "Begin!"

Ranma shook his head as the students in the center of the room scrambled to avoid being hit while also firing off spells. Seven students went down in the initial volley, but only one of them had been disarmed. He waited for that student, a boy from Slytherin, to be hit with a hex that turned the mucus in his nose into what looked like miniature bats, to go down from the spell but clearly the spell was merely a diversion. A flash of red struck the boy, rendering him unconscious, but not before two other hexes connected with him.

Reaching into his pocket Ranma tossed what appeared to be a blue ball at the now defeated boy, encasing him in a protective blue cocoon. In the span of three minutes he had to toss two more balls as the majority of the spells were merely jinxes that hindered rather than stopped an opponent. For his part, Ranma made note of each wand movement and incantation, mentally categorizing the spells and their effects. While most were useless by themselves the effects when compiled were, well, complicated. One girl, a Gryffindor with raven hair, appeared to have tentacles instead of hair after being hit with four different hexes. Another boy from Slytherin was now the size of an ox and was floating in the air after being hit with three simultaneous jinxes.

Adjusting his expectations, Ranma began throwing the protective balls once a student was hit with three spells thus limiting the interaction of the jinxes and hexes. As most of the spells were either jinxes or hexes, Ranma did not worry about any lasting effects. Most would ware off by the end of the class.

Fifteen minutes into the class and only a third of the class has been eliminated as the students from each house were now aiding each other to eliminate the other house. Most worked in pairs or the occasional group of three with one person focused on offense and the others defending. With their current level of spellwork, a simple shield spell was more than sufficient to block the jinxes or hexes, but could only endure a few hits before another shield spell was needed. Exhaustion was starting catch up with the students as few had ever seriously dueled or sparred for such a long period of time.

After thirty minutes half of the class had been eliminated, most due to exhaustion though a few had been hit by deflected spells. Six Griffindors stood on one side of the room facing six Slytherins, each side waiting for the other to cast a spell before someone on the other side cast a shield spell.

Finally, a tall redheaded girl on the Griffindor side cried out, "Lumos Maxima!"

Caught up in casting a shield spell as an automatic response, the Slytherins were caught flatfooted as a bright light erased any trace of darkness in the room. Her distraction allowed the remaining Gryffindors to flank the Slytherins and placing them in a crossfire. The six snakes were quickly dispatched, though they managed to take out one of the remaining Gryffindors.

Three girls and two boys remained. Two of the girls quickly turned on the redhead who had cast Lumos while the boys took a moment to move apart and catch their breath. Before either could do anything the taller of the two was hit with a stray spell as the redhead moved to put them between her and the other girls. Firing off a quick counter she disarmed the closer of the two girls.

The second girl literally froze as the redhead shot off another spell to immobilize her. The last boy simply yielded, exhausted by the extensive dueling.

"I wouldn't do that Romilda," the redhead advised the unarmed raven haired girl. While the other girl appeared to be winded, the redhead appeared as though she could go another hour.

"That's enough," Ranma seconded. "Last witch standing is" he looked at the register to match her face with a name "Ginny Weasley - fifty points to Gryffindor."

With a simple nod he sent the desks scurrying back into their original places. "Now, who can tell me the difference between a jinx, a hex, and a curse?"

* * *

Word of the new DADA professor's assessment and style of education quickly spread through Hogwarts. Only the first years had been spared as they were still to unfamiliar with their wands and were unable to do anything beyond sending a few sparks flying though Professor Saotome had a different training regiment for them.

With the various looks that most people were giving him, Harry was actually looking forward to the double class with the Slytherins. Thus far Gryffindor had won three of five as both the sixth and seventh years had prevailed against their rivals while second year had been called a no-contest as the last four standing had been so overexerted that they could barely stand. It had been that way with the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws as well were it not for the fact that one of the Ravenclaw second years had hidden herself away until the end. Still, Hufflepuff had split with the Ravenclaws in their series so that both houses had amassed 150 points towards the house cup.

"Padma said that aside from dealing with the Hufflepuffs, Professor Saotome had thrown in some enchanted balls that were acting like bludgers," Ron told the gathered fifth years. "They weren't hard enough to injure, but they still hurt and shield charms couldn't stop them."

"That makes sense," Hermione muttered. "Fred and George said that Professor Saotome had enchanted the desks to run around the room. Katie Bell said that Professor Saotome filled the room with thick fog."

"Fifty points," Seamus sighed. "I don't think I've earned that many points for Gryffindor in four years here."

Though things had started rocky the first night back, the air seemed to have cleared between the Gryffindors. Seamus had made the effort to apologize to Harry before their first class, though he did mention that Ron had taken him aside. For his part Ron had wandered off during their few free periods.

"Time to go," Ron announced to the group.

All ten of the fifth year Gryffindors knew what was at stake. Seamus had been right, fifty points was considerable. In their time at Hogwarts the total points earned by a house in a year was around six or seven hundred. Securing another fifty points for Gryffindor would put them at two hundred after the first week of classes. Slytherin had thus far only won fifty and trailed the other houses by a considerable margin. It was almost like marching to the pitch for the annual Gryffindor vs. Slytherin as members of each house watched the two groups of fifth years head towards their Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

Tensions were so high Harry wondered if Draco or the other Slytherins were going to play fair or if they were going to try to start something in the corridor. There was plenty of bad blood between the two houses, and a long history of strong dislike that perhaps even crossed over into hatred. Still, this was a chance for them to actually duel.

"I'm going to enjoy this Potter," Draco proclaimed.

"If I remember correctly the last time the two of dueled, you had to be dragged back to your feet Malfoy," the usually quiet Fay Dunbar quipped.

"That was back in second year," Millicent retorted. "I remember Granger tried to take a swipe at me back then too. You're going to need new teeth after today Granger."

"Didn't you nearly fail the final last year?" Eloise countered.

"I won't need my wand to take out Granger's teeth or yours Midgon."

"I'd heard that Gryffindors and Slytherins were like having fire and dynamite in the same room," their new professor interjected, startling all twenty fifth years. "This isn't a place for you to take out your personal grudges. If you want to do that, then have the courage to challenge someone to an actual duel."

This was only the second time Harry had been so close to their new professor. His track record with the previous professors was abysmal as each had tried to harm him (though in Professor Lupin's case it had been instinctual rather than intentional).

The first thing that Harry noticed was that their new professor was young, very young. If he wasn't using magic to conceal his age then he was only a few years older than the fifth years, perhaps only a seventh year or whatever equivalent they had. The second thing Harry took note of was that their professor appeared relaxed, which was a stark contrast to the twitchy fake Professor Moody and the cursed Professor Lupin. Only Professor Lockhard had been so relaxed and he had proven to be a fraud. Thirdly, there was the fact that Professor Saotome was a handsome man. 'No wonder the other girls are so taken with him – I just hope he's not like Professor Lockhart.'

"I've heard of your former professor, Mr. Lockhart," the professor said as though he were reading Harry's mind. "I assure you, I'm not some pretty boy who doesn't like to get his hands dirty. If you really want to see how good I really am you can challenge me to a duel after class."

None of the fifth years dared to question him even outside of his classroom. Turning, he led the way into the classroom. The desks had already been moved to line the walls, giving the twenty students just enough room to move around though not enough to all of them to duel. The score of students stood around as their professor took a quick roll call.

"I know that all of you have a rough idea of what to expect," the raven haired man said from the front of the room. "But given the bad blood between your respective houses, I can't help but think that some of you have already started thinking of various tactics to employ. Well, I hope you're all up for this."

His grin sent a chill down everyone's spine.

"Close your eyes."

"Why?" Leave it to Draco to question an outsider's authority.

"Because I'm going to shuffle you guys around," their professor explained as he set his eyes on Draco. "I already know that you're going to do your best to split into Slytherin and Gryffindor, try to eliminate the other house then work out your own pecking order, but I've gotten pretty board of that.

"Now close your eyes."

Harry glanced at Hermione and then Ron, mentally mapping their position relative to the room before he closed his eyes. He felt something grab hold of his feet before the carpet beneath him shifted.

"Last one standing gets fifty points for their house," Professor Saotome repeated. "Disarm and subdue only – if anyone tries to injure someone I will deduct points and detentions. When you stop moving you can open your eyes and start dueling."

Gripping his wand, Harry waited for the sensation of movement to end. No longer feeling the air whip around him as the carpet moved him he opened his eyes. Directly before him stood Malfoy. Instinct combined with a bit of something else prompted him to whip his wand up and take aim, " _Everte Statum!_ "

Satisfaction flowed through Harry as he watched Draco fly into the wall behind him. It was the same spell that the prat had used on Harry in their duel back in second year. Draco appeared dazed, but not out of it. " _Colloshoo!_ "

He knew that he should have just eliminated Draco then and there, but Harry wanted to do so much more to him.

"Why?"

Harry instinctively leapt to the side, barely avoiding the spell. He chided himself for being so careless and caught up in dealing with Draco that he'd failed to realize that he had his back to the rest of the class. Rolling to his feet he managed to twist around to face his attacker.

For a moment his mind froze as he tried to process what he was seeing – Draco Malfoy was standing before him, wand at the ready while Harry was still on the ground. Behind Draco were seve other Dracos and ten Hermiones.

Instinct prevailed as he aimed his wand at the second Draco Malfoy, " _Stupify!_ "

"Why?"

Another spell flew at him. " _Protago!_ "

His shield held, deflecting the unknown spell cast by a Hermione Granger.

There was no time for him to figure out who was who. The professor's spell masked the students both visually and audibly. Every utterance was a copy of what Draco had said when he had questioned the professor about the need to close their eyes and presumably every boy was Draco and every girl was Hermione. This was how the professor was going to keep the students from teaming up against the other house, leaving it to the individual students to win the fifty points for his or her house.

A quick scan of the classroom revealed that a quarter of the class had been subdued – three Dracos and two Hermiones. Confusion and chaos reigned as jets of green and red filled the room, forcing most of their respective targets to dodge as most of them did not know the shield charm. With the audible clues gone, it difficult to tell what spells were being cast at any given moment.

"Expelliarmus!" He disarmed a Hermione. "Stupify!"

"Why?"

"Protago!"

"Why?"

"Why?"

"Why?"

"Stupify!"

"W"

The chorus of why's slowed. Despite all their planning and preparations or perhaps because of it, the number of students left standing dwindled. Hermione went down in a blast of green. Draco fell in flash of red. Draco was tacked by another Draco only for the pair to be stunned by a Hermione.

"Expelliarmus!" Hermione was thrown back into a dueling Draco and Hermione, sending all three sprawling. "Stupify! Stupify! Stupify!"

"Why?"

Hermione fell at his feet.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry avenged the unconscious Hermione by sending Draco's wand flying.

"Why?" another Draco blasted the defenseless Draco, causing him to crumple to the ground.

"Why?" Hermione stunned the last Draco.

"Stupify!" Harry stunned Hermione.

For a moment there was silence. Harry quickly scanned the room, looking for anyone standing to stun or disarm.

"Why?" the gentle whisper caught Harry off guard. He felt his body go ridged and watched as he toppled over. By the time he hit the floor the illusions were removed, revealing Pansy beside him and Dean Thomas beyond her.

"Congratulations Mr. Longbottom," Professor Saotome announced. "You've earned Gryffindor fifty points."

In a few minutes the students were revived and any injuries cured. The desks were returned to the center of the room and the Gryffindors and Slytherins sat on opposite sides of the room.

"Can anyone tell me who they saw?" Professor Saotome asked.

Hermione raised her hand.

"Miss" the professor looked at the register "Granger."

"The boys all appeared as Draco Malfoy and the girls all looked like me," she stated.

"Close," the Professor replied. "Each person who looked like Mr. Malfoy were actually Gryffindors and everyone who appeared to be Miss Granger were Slytherins.

"Now, let us go over the playback of the fight."

Harry and the rest watched as the fight minus the illusions were replayed for by the professor. Clearly he was a master illusionist, something that Harry had not encountered yet.

"Mr. Potter, can you tell me what you did wrong here?"

Harry could feel his face heating up as the class watched him send Neville flying then hit him with a sticking hex. "I…, um, I failed to adequately follow up with my initial attack."

"Correct."

The illusion shifted to Ron and Pansy. "Mr. Weasley, what did you do wrong here?"

"I thought that it was actually Hermione," the redhead replied.

"So you failed to take into account the illusion even though you could clearly see that there were four of her before you?"

"Yeah," Ron mutter abashedly.

Try as he might Harry focused on the feelings he'd had during the test and when he'd thought that all the boys were Draco. 'I thought Neville was Draco… I had him beat but why did I try to rub it in? And that was Dean that I sent crashing into the desk. There I am hesitating to stun Greengrass because she looked like Hermione.'

The end of the class couldn't come soon enough for Harry. While the rest of the class filed out of the classroom Harry remained behind. By extension Hermione and Ron followed suit.

"Yes?" Professor Saotome asked as he noted the trio's presence.

"Sir," it felt odd addressing someone who was barely older than him so formally.

"You have an anger management issue," the professor interjected. "I know from firsthand experience that keeping your anger bottled in is not good for you.

"Yes, I purposely chose those illusions because I knew that Gryffindor and Slytherin dislike each other, but I had no idea that any of you would act out the way you did Mr. Potter."

He felt like a foolish child before the youthful professor.

"You are fairly advanced for your year, well ahead of the others, but you need to learn to control your temper. I know that the Prophet has been dragging your name through the mud, but that is no reason to take out your frustrations on others. Doing so just makes you a bully and validates what they write about you.

"That's what a responsible adult would tell you. Unfortunately I'm not a responsible adult." Professor Saotome shrugged before walking over to the door and closing it. "I know how it is to feel like the world is against you, but I also know what it feels like to be on the receiving end of someone else's anger."

The trio watched as he walked back to the front of the room, no one sure what to say.

"I'm sure you're thinking that you'd give anything to have the world believe you, right?"

Harry nodded.

"Even if the price was Mr. Weasley's life? Or perhaps Miss Grangers?"

Harry flinched.

"You never thought of that, did you?"

He shook his head.

"Do you know why I can see threstrils?"

Again Harry shook his head. No one knew much about the new professor really.

"I killed someone in defense of the woman I love," Professor Saotome stated. He had a slightly pained look on his face as he clenched his fist. "You know about the Unforgivables and the Killing Curse in particular. It takes considerable emotional intent to cast them as they feed off of the caster's emotions and magical power. Any dark mage will tell you that you have to mean it when you cast them.

"When you're fighting to protect a life, you have to be prepared to take or lose a life. Voldemort and his followers know that. Unfortunately they're also arrogant enough to think that they're the ones taking a life, and not that their lives are at stake as well."

It was a sobering thought, one that did not sit well with Harry.

"Oh, that's right," Professor Saotome said as he seemed to remember something important. "You're the one that killed a basilisk, right?"

Unsure where this was going, Harry nodded.

"Could you get back down there?"

Again Harry nodded.

"Cool. Tomorrow you're talking me down to the Chamber of Secrets."


	3. Chapter 3

_Dear Akane,_

 _I know that we did not part on the best of terms, but honestly, when have we been on the best of terms? Honestly, I don't know what to say or write to you. I just know that I need to let you know what I'm feeling and thinking._ _I guess knowing that there's an entire continent between us helps._

 _You have to understand that I've lived my life on the road for the majority of my life, with only a few longer stops when I met Ryoga and Ukyo, and finally when Pops and I stopped in Nerima. The entire time I was in Nerima there was a part of me that expected that I would hit the road again, and not just for a brief training session. In that context, do you think that you would be happy living the same life as my mom?_

 _I don't know how you felt in the time between the failed wedding and my leaving as we had little opportunity to talk. For my part, I did not know how to talk to you. We both know that we each have had problems with being honest with each other and with not being able to let our pride or ego get the best of us, and then there are the others who always seem to interrupt us. Hopefully we can get the chance to speak without those other factors getting in the way. If you would like to visit I could arrange for you to come out during the winter holidays and break so that we can be free of distractions._

 _Hogwarts is actually fun. I am enjoying the challenge of teaching and learning about my magic. While I am the youngest of the staff, my fellow professors do not look down on me for my relative inexperience. I am enjoying conversations with Professor Minerva McGonagall about transfiguration and the theory behind the Jusenkyo curses. Professor Filius Flitwick and Professor Severus Snape both provide excellent insights to Western magi and their dueling styles and techniques._

 _Plus, the students here respect me even though I'm only a few years older than some of them. They call me "Sir", or "Professor Saotome" and of course I'm respectful to them too. It's nice not having idiots spouting off and trying to take my head off for every infraction or slight, perceived or real._

 _Having come to terms with the fact that there is no cure for my curse has changed the way I see magic. There is good and bad, just as there is with anything else, but it is not a cure-all. I can see why many of the younger students from no-maj families are easily overwhelmed by everything as it does seem to be so fantastic and bewildering._

 _I sincerely hope that you consider my offer to visit. While I am gone I also hope that you consider your options for your future, be that with me or not. I honestly want you to be happy with whatever decision you make._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Ranma Saotome_

* * *

Ranma watched as the owl set off towards the already bright eastern sky. He'd purposely written it in English because he hoping that by forcing Akane to take the time and effort to translate the letter would be less inclined to throw a fit as well as giving her time for his words to get through to her. Perhaps they were just too physically inclined to let their fists and feet do the talking, though honestly neither one of them was very good at actually speaking face to face as they both tended to irritate each other.

When he had first discovered the method that the magi in the west used for mail delivery he had been skeptical, but the owls that he and Happosai had received while they were traveling west had quickly won him over. He'd quickly learned that some animals were more receptive of magi, thus their prominence in being chosen as familiars. Owls, toads/frogs, snakes, crocodiles, alligators, cats, foxes, weasels, martens, and apparently any animal that was either all white or all black, and those were just the "normal" animals.

His own familiar was not a normal animal, though it often disguised itself as its non-magical cousin. Its keen intelligence had helped Ranma expand his magical skill set to include illusions, school of magic that few in the west appeared to have a knack for. Ranma's own specialty, due to his curse, was transfiguration, though the wand that he had won favored charms. Unfortunately his familiar couldn't fly and none of the Hogwarts owls was willing to make such a long international delivery, thus forcing Ranma to head into Hogsmead on Saturday.

After having completed his first full week of classes Ranma was pleased with the results. With a better idea of what each year and the individual students were capable of he had decided that it would be best to break each class down into three parts. The first half hour was spent covering either spell theory or threat identification, then some practical applications of what was learned, and finally dueling. The difference between the last two parts of class involved what his students faced. For practical applications he (through his familiar) crafted an illusion/simulation and forced the students to deal with an attacker/creature to force the students to use what they'd learned. For dueling he paired the students up into even groups to have them work on their tactics, strategy and teamwork.

Only the first years would have a different schedule as most would not be able to cast even a low level jinx until the end of September. For them he spent the first half hour on lessons, then on stretches, then rigorous exercise, and finally review and treatment.

Ranma returned to the castle just in time for breakfast. The meals were wonderful, though not what he was used to. In the absence of his father he was actually able to eat at a normal speed and display some of the table manners that his mother had wanted him to use. As one of the staff members his attendance at the weekend meals was not mandatory, but Ranma could not resist free food. Only three staff needed to be present during the weekend meals and as Professor McGonagall, Professor Vector, and Professor Flitwick were already present Ranma knew that he did not need to stay the entire meal or to even eat at the head table.

"Professor Saotome," someone called out to him, "would you join us?"

It was George Weasley. Physically he was a near perfect match for his brother, only a few freckles were darker in color and in a slightly different position, though it was something most people would fail to notice.

Nodding, he took a seat at the Gryffindor table. Plates, a cup, and utensils appeared before him.

"Is it true that you have a rare curse that turns you into a girl?" George asked.

"Yeah," he replied. Word of his curse had apparently gotten out, though how Ranma was unsure as he'd only spoke with the Headmaster and some of the staff about it.

Immediately Parvati and Lavender inched closer to Ranma's position. Padma and Su, as well as a few Ravenclaws at the next table joined them.

"Fresh white rice, a raw egg, and some soy sauce on the side," another perk of being a teacher was that he could order simple foods. It took but a moment for the food to appear in his bowl and plate.

"Could you show us?" Fred asked a mix of skepticism and interest on his face.

Conjuring some water into his glass he waited for everyone who was interested to turn towards him. Splashing just a bit on his face, Ranma triggered the instant transformation.

"Blimy, you're gorgeous!" Dean Thomas blurted out.

"I think I'm pretty handsome normally," Ranma replied.

"Sorry Sir, um,"

"Sir is fine. I may have the body of a girl but I'm still me up here," he pointed to his head.

"The Jusenkyo Curse," Su muttered. "I'd heard of it, but I never thought I'd see it in person."

Many of the gathered students turned to her.

"It's a cursed valley in China filled with thousands of cursed springs, each bearing a tragic past and curse for whoever falls into the water. Cold water triggers the curse, hot water reverses it."

Ranma nodded as he scooped rice into his bowl then cracked the egg over the rice and added soy sauce, salt, and pepper.

"That's wicked!" someone added.

"Do you, you know, have the monthly visitor?" Lavender asked.

He shook his head. "I looked into the particular spring that I fell into. There are several hundred pools of drowned girls and a few of drowned men or boys, but mine was different. The girl who died some 1500 years ago drowned herself."

"Why would she do that?" Lavender asked. "She was beautiful."

"Because she couldn't have any children of her own. In an age when being able to have children to ensure the existence of one's bloodline, even a beautiful young girl could not find a husband."

For a few moments the students reflected on the girl's tragic fate.

"Is your curse the reason you can easily transfigure people?" Su asked as she tried to steer the conversation into lighter fare.

He nodded, "I studied the curse and the effects in hopes of curing it, but aside from locking myself in one form or another, there is no cure for the curse. At least I'm fortunate in that my cursed form is human."

"There are other curses?" George asked.

"Cursed piglet, kitten, panda, yeti riding an ox while holding an eel, dragon, monk, and duck are the ones I've seen firsthand, but there were thousands of cursed springs," he eyed George. "Perhaps we should turn you into a girl so that we can tell the two of you apart."

"You could do that?" Seamus asked.

"He did that to us," Parvati replied. "Well, we turned into boys for a bit, but yeah, he can do that."

"No wonder some blokes wear boxers," Lavender added while shaking her head.

Several girls blushed while some of the boys' mouths found their mouths had failed to operate.

With one hand Ranma finished eating his light breakfast (no one noticed that he'd consumed an entire bowl of rice and half a dozen eggs) and the other pulled out a piece of paper. He quickly wrote out the spell on the tag and placed it on George Weasley's hand. With a flick of his finger he splashed the tall Gryffindor to trigger the transformation.

"Bloody hell!" Fred exclaimed as he looked at his now twin sister.

"Get me a mirror!" George demanded as he began to pat himself down. "Oy!" he groped himself.

"That's so improper!" one of the girls protested.

"Woo… How long does this last?"

"Only until you are splashed with warm water," Padma explained as the professor was finishing the last of the rice. "It's a one-time change."

"Is that your newest prank?" another voice asked.

"We didn't do this," Fred said as he glanced at the newest arrivals to the table. "Professor Saotome did that."

"That can't be real," Gryffindor's resident genius stated.

"Feel for yourself," Fred said as he took Hermoine's hand and placed it on George's breast.

"Who's this?" Harry Potter asked as he glanced at the Ranma.

"That's Professor Saotome," Parvati explained. "He has a curse that turns him into a woman."

"Merlin's beard!" Hermione was clearly shocked by what she felt.

"Two points from Mr. Fred Weasley for inappropriate, um, touching," Professor McGonagall hissed as she approached the table. "Professor Saotome, you should know better."

"Sorry Professor McGonagall," Ranma shrugged. "That's the kind of thing most people do when they're first transformed like this."

She glowered at him, "I forgot that you have no feminine modesty, but do try to refrain from turning any more students, especially in front of others."

"Okay, okay." With a flick of his wrist he splashed George with some warm water, changing him back to his normal self.

"How did you do that?" Hermione demanded as she claimed as seat at the table.

"I figure it's like the transformation a werewolf goes through," he replied. "It's an ancient curse, but the effects can be duplicated but only temporarily." Reaching out he pulled the spent tag from George Weasley.

"Fascinating."

"Good thing you didn't turn us all into Draco for real," Ronald Weasley muttered as he speared some food with his fork. Several Gryffindors laughed.

He listened as Hermione and the Ravenclaws speculated about the limits and merits of the triggered spells and the other Gryffindors joked about how life might be easier or harder if they had been a boy or girl. Several Gryffindors and Ravenclaws joined the conversations though a few asked him about their earlier class with him.

Seeing that Harry had finished his food and was waiting on his friends, Ranma turned to him, "Are you ready?"

Harry nodded.

"You going somewhere, Sir?" Fred asked as he turned his attention back to the professor.

"Mr. Potter is taking me down to the Chamber of Secrets," he stated. Several students, mostly the Ravenclaws, gave Harry an appraising or skeptical look. "You guys don't believe him, do you?"

Several Ravenclaws averted their eyes.

"Sir," Padma finally spoke up, "don't you think that Dumbledore"

"Headmaster Dumbledore," Ranma corrected.

"Headmaster Dumbledore's claim that…"

"Voldemort," he chimed in, causing even a good number of Gryffindors to shudder.

"that he returned is believable, do you?"

"Before you met me did you think that someone could change their gender after being splashed with water?"

She reluctantly shook her head.

"I've fought wizards with powers and abilities that defy logic," Ranma stated. "I've learned that anything is possible, and when magic is involved well, all it needs is enough juice.

"If you think that Harry lied about the Chamber of Secrets and the basilisk, then come see for yourself."

* * *

Saturdays were meant to be spent relaxing, not trudging through the underground. When Professor Saotome had first told Harry that he wanted to see the Chamber of Secrets and the remains of the basilisk, Ron knew that his plans to secretly practice his flying were shot. It was supposed to be his final day of practice before the try-outs on Sunday (Slytherin had booked entire day for their try-outs). Still, it was what a friend was for.

What he hadn't expected was for two dozen students to accompany them into Moaning Myrtle's loo and the cavern underneath. Harry had initially been hesitant to take so many people down there, but Professor Saotome (in his female form) had convinced him that since the basilisk was dead there was no threat to anyone and if there were then he as the professor would protect everyone.

"You're the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?" Of course such a large group trouping through her bathroom had drawn Myrtle's attention. "You're so young! You probably got the position because you know plenty of positions."

Ron's ears were turning red. Most of the boys had taken note of how attractive and well endowed their professor was, but most of them tried to not pay any attention to it because they knew that she was actually a man.

"You're just jealous because I'm prettier than you." It was times like this that reminded them all that their professor was only a few years older than them. "I'd have hid in the loo too if I was as flat as a wall."

That was the final straw that sent Moaning Myrtle flying off raining down ghostly tears on the students in back as she retreated to the castle.

"I can't believe that you'd resort to such… petty methods," Hermione huffed indignantly.

Professor Saotome shrugged, "Ghosts aren't people any more. They're shades of people who were afraid to move on. They are trapped in their undeath, unable to grow or mature as a living human is capable of. That is not to say that they can't learn, just that emotionally and physically they do not change."

"This is where Lockhart took my wand," Ron announced, bringing the group to a standstill. "It's a tight fit."

"Yeah," Harry seconded. "I was a lot smaller back then."

"Stand back," Professor Saotome ordered them.

Rather than pulling out a wand, the buxom redhead gripped a boulder then lifted it as though it were but a feather. After a few minutes a path was cleared for them.

"Did she charm them to be lighter?" one of the Ravenclaws asked another.

"I didn't see her pull out a wand or those spell tags of hers."

"I'm still a guy!" Professor Saotome interjected. "I might have a female body, but I still identify as male. And I didn't need a spell to lift those boulders."

"But the larger boulders have to be over a hundred kilos at least," the Ravenclaw Prefect proclaimed.

"Train the body before you train the mind," he replied. "Your first class was to assess you; your next classes are going to be balancing physical training along with mental training. I know a guy who could shatter one of those babies by jabbing his finger into it. Unfortunately some of those boulders are load bearing so shattering the rocks would only create another cave-in."

The group cautiously made their way through the passage with Harry in the lead and Professor Saotome staying in the expanded tunnel to ensure that none of the students were left behind.

Ron only caught bits of the conversation as the some of the Ravenclaw girls chatted up the professor about the style of magic that he learned.

"I guess it translates to chi magic," Professor Saotome explained. "We don't use wands, and only a few of us use spell tags. Wands help you accomplish things faster and easier, but what are you going to do when you're disarmed?"

"Aren't you a bit young to be a master?" Ron finally asked.

Professor Saotome shrugged, "Probably. I've been groomed since I could walk to be the heir and successor of our school."

"I thought you said there weren't magical schools in Japan?" Hermione asked.

"I'm not talking about a school like Hogwarts, but like in a succession of the art," the shape-shifting professor explained. "The founder of my school had no master teaching him. He developed his own martial arts style by combining aspects of different martial arts and magic together, and then taught my father and another student. My father in turn taught me. My father and his friend were both appointed as 'Masters' of the school, but neither is the heir. The heir to the school learns everything that the Grandmaster and masters have to teach.

"As a master myself I can take on a student to learn all that I have learned, but the other masters do not have to teach my students if they do not wish to."

"But aren't you doing that here?" Again it was Padma.

Their professor shook his head. "I am teaching you just an aspect of magic. Masters teach their heir everything – potions, herbology, defense, charms, transfiguration, astronomy, - everything. If Hogwarts were a school like we have it, then the Headmaster would teach all of you everything that he knows, with the occasional consult from a master that specialized in an area that he was deficient in."

Finally they reached the door, ending that vein of the conversation. Again Harry gave the command for the door to open in parsletongue. Only Harry and Ginny had ventured into the Chamber of Secrets, neither of them appeared to be keen on having to return there.

"It's not as big as I thought it would be," Ron caught the flash of anger in Harry's eyes at the professor's supposed insult, "probably because it was underfed and malnourished. If it was here soon after Hogwarts was founded the basilisk should be nearly a thousand years old."

Carefully the professor removed all of the teeth, taking even more caution with the still venomous fangs. "Do you know if it was male or female?"

All eyes turned to Harry, "Well, I kind of wasn't looking at the head because, you know, their eyes can kill."

"Fair point," the professor shrugged. "Well, everyone, stick together. We might have a long day excavating the infamous Chamber of Secrets."

Ron and the others watched as the professor produced several torches then proceeded to hand them to every fifth student. "These torches will turn black if there is danger nearby."

"Black?" Hermione repeated.

"Black," Professor Saotome confirmed. "If the light goes black press the button on the torch – it will crow like a cock in the morning. Objects that suddenly take on a black glow are also dangerous, most-likely cursed items or magical traps – do not touch them. Call me over and I will deal with it."

Ronald accepted the offered torch, noting that it looked like a rooster. For a moment the redhead had the air of a serious, mature adult. "Too bad I chased away the ghost girl… she would have been perfect to lead us through the chamber."

* * *

"In my defense I had not thought that there would be that many students accompanying me into the Chamber of Secrets," Ranma said as he faced the Headmaster, the Minister of Magic, and several aurors. "I took all the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of the students that accompanied me. Had I known that Delores Umbridge had descended into the Chamber could have provided her with the same tools and protections that I had supplied the students. It's fortunate that she did not look at them directly and is only petrified."

"Did you know that he was going down to the Chamber of Secrets?" the furious little wizard in the old bowler demanded of the Headmaster.

The sage wizard nodded once, "I knew."

"Why would you permit it?" a dark skinned mage asked as it was apparent that the Minister was far too worked up to annunciate his complaints.

"As I told you before Cornelius," the ancient wizard eyed the significantly younger wizard, "I know that Voldemort has returned and I agreed with my new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor that the Chamber of Secrets needed to be cleared out of any potential dangers to the students. Leaving a wizard's secret laboratory unchecked would have been a terrible folly. Had we not discovered the mother and the nest of hatchlings we would not have been able to eliminate the threat that they pose to the students."

For a moment the Minister and the Headmaster locked eyes. "And you are sure that all of the hatchlings have been accounted for?" the Minister finally said, his emotions contained.

"Yes," Ranma replied. "I cast a series of detection spells to locate the young once I dispatched of the mother. It is fortunate that they were all juveniles. Still, I have to say that a 'trained' and 'competent' ministry should have taken precautions when entering a known basilisk lair. She violated the two major rules of hunting basilisks – never go alone, and have the proper tools handy."

Turning to the Minister, Ranma eyed the man, "I realize that she's supposed to be the Hogwarts High Inquisitor, but she needs to know that her duties are just to assess, not to actually get out into the field, that's why you have aurors and hunters, right?"

The dark skinned auror nodded reluctantly while the other auror failed to meet Ranma's gaze.

"She probably went to assess your capabilities," Minister Fudge sputtered.

"Again, she shouldn't be in the field. It's one thing to assess me in the classroom, but I wasn't in the classroom. I had all the students sign consent forms and warded the bathroom so that other students wouldn't wander in."

"Be that as it may," Dumbledore cut in "it is because of Professor Saotome and his students that Delores is safe. The mandrake restorative draught that Professor Saotome had with him was able to restore her to her normal self, though it was not a fresh batch so she will need to stay in the infirmary for the remainder of the weekend for observation."

"What of the remains of the beasts?" Fudge demanded.

"As Professor Saotome was the one to kill them he has the right to do as he pleases with them," Dumbledore stated. "Of course it will be documented so that we can ensure that no laws will be broken."

* * *

"Quibbler?" Luna asked in her usual sing-song voice. The Ravenclaw outcast had always been a beacon of light for the Gryffindor outcast. Their friendship had started back in primary school as they had been the only girls in their class from a magical family. Though they had initially drifted apart in their first year at Hogwarts due to being placed in different houses, they had renewed their friendship over the past few years. It did not help that both were the odd person out in their respective dorms.

"Thanks," Ginny said as she took the magazine. "It's an early print, isn't it?"

"It is," the perpetually optimistic girl replied. "It's not every day that I get a scoop for father's print. Besides, I think that parents need to know that the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor is fully capable despite his apparent youth."

Glancing at the magazine Ginny fought the urge to drop the paper.

 **New Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor finds basilisks beneath Hogwarts**

 _By Luna Lovegood_

 _Though many in the ministry and on Hogwarts' board of governors questioned Headmaster Albus Dumbledore's recent hiring of Professor Ranma Saotome it is hard to make a case for his inexperience. Only a week after the start of the new school year Professor Saotome along with several capable students excavated Salazar Slytherin's famous Chamber of Secrets._

 _As most current and recent students and their families will recall, it was only a few years ago that Hogwarts was hit with a rash of attacks on the student body. Those attacks were ultimately foiled by one Harry Potter as he and Ronald Weasley along with then Professor Gildaroy Lockhart ventured into the Chamber of Secrets to kill the basilisk._

 _With assistance from Harry Potter, Professor Ranma Saotome was able to excavate the infamous Chamber of Secrets. The remains of an ancient basilisk believed to be created by Hogwarts founder Salazar Slytherin along with a nest of juvenile basilisks were discovered. Hogwarts High Inquisitor Delores Umbridge was petrified when she failed to follow Professor Saotome's advice and refused to equip herself with a rooster head torch which was created specifically to deal with basilisks. (More on Rooster Head Torches and basilisks on page 9.)_

 _Professor Saotome's courage and foresight brought about the capture and eventual destruction of ten juvenile basilisks. While the juveniles are as deadly as an adult, they lack the reproductive organs needed to breed basilisks. Still, the presence of the nest suggests that Salazar Slytherin had managed to create more a breeding pair of basilisks._

 _Through the use of the Rooster Head Torches the presence of a female adult basilisk was detected along with the recently hatched nest._

 _I, along with a score of Hogwarts students witnessed the heroic Professor Saotome place himself between the beasts and the students. Encased in a sphere of darkness to keep us from falling victim to the basilisk's deadly gaze, we heard him battle the ferocious creature._

 _As we all survived to tell the tale of Professor Saotome's adventure into the Chamber of Secrets it is obvious that he prevailed. Only Hogwarts High Inquisitor Delores Umbridge was injured, though she was only petrified and received the Mandrake Restorative Draught._

Ginny did not need to read the rest as she had played a pivotal part in why Ron and Harry had gone down there in the first place, and had been amongst the number of students who had ventured down to the Chamber of Secrets with Professor Saotome today. No one had seen the actual battle, but it had been fierce. Still, no one knew how Professor Saotome had severed the head cleanly as they had not witnessed him carrying a sword.

It was the talk of the school, turning many of those who had gone down there into temporary celebrities. Given Ginny and Luna's reputation though few in their respective houses had approached either of them.

From the looks of things though Luna had been busy and managed to get her story out.

"I'm sure that father would love to have another student's take on the adventure we had," Luna added.

"How did you manage to get the article written so quickly?" Ginny asked.

"I had an enchanted quill. It's not like the cheap Quick-Quills that they use at the Prophet."

"Aren't those banned?"

"The Quick-Quills are, but mine is self-made," Luna explained. "And other than Harry, none of the students were mentioned by name. Because of the Ministry did not close the loop-hole about Harry from the Tri-Wizard tournament, I can mention that he was there as it is an established fact, but I cannot quote him without his express permission. Still, it was enough to allow daddy to write his editorial. Page two."

Ginny flipped the page to find the editorial.

 **Harry Potter Vindicated!**

 _Editorial by Xenophilius Lovegood_

 _For months the Daily Prophet has waged a mudslinging campaign against Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore and student Harry Potter but word of the existence of the fabled Chamber of Secrets and the remains of a basilisk that measures over fifteen meters prove that one Harry Potter was not lying about the incident that occurred over two years ago._

 _The questions that need to be answered are why the Board of Governors chose to hide the fact that the students had been attacked by a basilisk and did it have anything to do with the sudden ouster of Lucius Malfoy who stepped down from the Board of Governors that same month? And why is the Ministry intent on belittling Albus Dumbledore and stripping any credibility from him?_

 _I have it from a Ministry official who does not want to be named, that Mr. Potter had been accused of performing underage magic over the summer. Such actions are not uncommon, but few transgressions ever result in so much as a citation, much less a summons to the Wizengamot. Even more peculiar is that Mr. Potter was summoned before the entire Wizengamot where he was cleared of all charges. It is clear that Minister Fudge and his administration have grown corrupt._

 _As the Quibbler has previously reported, Minister Fudge and his administration have unfairly pressured the goblins of Gringotts, affecting the quarterly interest rates and inflation rates. Not too long ago one Galleon was worth 17 Sickles, 29 Knuts in a Sickle, and 493 Knuts to a Galleon, but as of the first of August the rates changed favoring the Galleon. Now a Galleon is 19 Sickles while there are still 29 Knuts in a Sickle. Why has only the value of the Galleon gone up and not the Sickle and Knut?_

 _It is clear that Minister Fudge is abusing his authority for personal gain. I for one call for an inquiry into Minister Fudge._

Before she could finish the editorial Ginny had wandered away from the Gryffindor table. She had not even realized it herself until she found herself standing before Professor Saotome (in his male form).

"Is there something you need Miss Weasley?" he asked her. "Miss Lovegood, wonderful article. I don't believe that even the Prophet has mentioned today's events yet."

Swallowing hard, she looked up at him, "Sir, would you take me on as your student?"

She'd expected him to brush her off, laugh, or scoff at the proposal. Instead his bright blue eye locked with hers as though he were looking into her soul. "I plan to be in the courtyard Monday morning at 6 am for morning exercise. If you're really interested be there by the time I start."

* * *

A/N

I am aware that this Ranma is a bit OOC, and he is. This is fanfiction and I am trying to write a Ranma who while young, is trying to be mature, responsible, and respectable.

I hope that those of you who read this will enjoy it and please review.

On a side note –

My heart goes out to those in Paris.

Dreamingfox


	4. Chapter 4

The soft mattress and silky sheets were normally tempting in and of themselves, but the fact that the buxom young maiden had draped the sheets tantalizingly over her assets made his bed all the more tempting.

"You know, I've seen you completely naked before," Ranma said as he quickly disrobed.

Akane simply smiled at him seductively as she slowly peeled away the bedsheet to reveal her perky breast and erect nipple.

"We shouldn't," he muttered even though he found himself enthralled by her. "We're not married yet."

"You don't have to do anything," she said as she reached out and hooked a finger into his pants and pulled him the rest of the way into his bed.

Cold water splashed him in the face, drenching his bed and waking him from his slumber. He did not have to open his eyes to know that he'd merely dreamed that Akane had attempted to seduce him. The real Akane Tendo would never had done anything like that, though he could not help but hope that she might be open to it someday.

Resetting the charm, for a moment Ranma actually missed his old man. Though Genma had questionable morals and methods, he had kept Ranma from succumbing to his lusts. It had not been until Ranma had encountered Happosai that he understood why his father did what he did whenever he sensed intense feelings of lust emanating from Ranma. Years of training under Happosai had exposed Genma Saotome and Soun Tendo to the darker side of that basic emotion to the point that both men reacted instinctively when they felt someone radiating lust. Splashing him with water was done not only to wake him, but to help purify the young martial artist and remove his feelings of lust.

With a wave of his hand his mattress, sheets, and blanket were suddenly dry and the bucket overhead was filled with room temperature water. Grumbling, he quickly stripped and redressed in a silky white kimono.

Since returning to Nerima after the decade long training trip with his old man, sleep had been elusive. The challenges that a teenage boy faced were nothing compared to Ranma's troubles. It did not help that Shampoo and Kodachi tried their hardest to, well, get him hard. It was a stark contrast to Akane though who resented even the thought of anyone entertaining any lustful thoughts or desires. Somehow the old letch managed to avoid triggering Akane, though he'd had centuries of dealing with escaping from angry women.

The Misogi was only a temporary fix and did nothing to alleviate the problem. In their trip to the west Happosai had suggested purification as a means to dealing with his teenaged hormones. It was a stop gap measure, not a fix all, as only the greatest of master martial artists stayed celibate. Even then they did so by removing themselves from temptation rather than conquering their desires.

Shaking his head, Ranma knew that he needed to clear his mind of any unnecessary thoughts before he stepped into the special bath. With the Headmaster's permission a special stairwell had been built connecting his personal chambers to an underground waterfall. The descent itself took ten minutes but the climb back would take him half an hour.

Ranma had insisted that the cavern remain magic free and as natural as possible to retain its purity. As such the chamber was illuminated by hand lit torches rather than ones that were magical. It was not that magic would ruin the purity of the waterfall and pool, but that anyone who used magic in the cavern would find themselves with too much power for their spell.

As much as he disliked wands, Ranma had to admit that they were useful tools. A typical mage could only handle so much power at a time, but wands, staves, and other magical weapons allowed the mage to access more of their reserves. The biggest disadvantage though had been evident in the tests that he'd overseen the previous week as few students had the endurance and wherewithal to keep from exhausting themselves within a few minutes.

Ranma knew that while he was the best, he was not the most powerful. Herb and Saffron had far larger reserves than anyone he personally knew. Ryoga was not in that league but he still had a larger reserve than Ranma.

Many of his so-called rivals back in Nerima had only recently learned to physically manifest their chi, though few had the ability to manipulate mana. In truth Ranma was still a novice as he could not access more than the necessary mana to perform even the most basic of offensive and defensive combat magic and had to rely heavily on spell tags. His transformation tags though were well beyond basic but aided in the fact that he had quickly mastered that branch of magic while researching his curse and possible cures. Fortunately his primary duty was to teach defense. That was something he excelled at.

His destination finally reached he grabbed a bucket and filled it with the cool water before dumping it over his head. The water helped clear his mind while refreshing and invigorating his body as the cavern replenished his mana reserves.

Even with no classes scheduled Ranma knew he had a busy day ahead of him. He let his mind focus on his schedule as he waded further and further into the waist-deep and finally under the chilly waterfall.

He still needed to meet with the goblins who would oversee the sale of the basilisk remains. As there had not been a basilisk reported in Europe in centuries. He had pushed for a quick sale to avoid drawing because he did not want it to interfere with his classes. The remains of a recently killed adult female basilisk and a dozen juveniles would fetch several thousand galleons at least but Ranma was not interested in money.

Beyond the trip to London there was the task of how to weed out the students without making it appear as though he did not want students. Ginny Weasley had been the first to approach him with the request that he take her on as a student, but she had not been the last. There were at least three dozen students, some of whom had ventured into the Chamber of Secrets with him, that were suddenly interested in learning chi magic. It was much more than he was willing to actually take on, but he knew that within their number there were some promising students that might eventually make it as apprentices.

He hoped to avoid the press as well. The little article by Luna Lovegood had only fueled the desire of the ministry and their desire to discredit him and Dumbledore, though he had technically endangered the students by taking them down to the Chamber of Secrets.

With much to do and contemplate, Ranma allowed the cool water to cascade over him, washing away the minor details, distracting thoughts, and nagging feeling that something was brewing beneath the surface.

* * *

He was getting used to the dream, to this dream, though he was not sure if that was a good thing. Still, it was just a dream, right? He'd had this dream almost regularly since his trial in the Ministry that he almost wanted to return there. But why would he want to do that?

The familiar passage with its gleaming, polished marble gave way to several portraits of people that he did not recognize. He failed to take note of the portraits though as he was once again fixated on the door. It was not the door from the usual dreams. That door drew him in whereas this door gave him a sense of dread.

The door opened, revealing a roaring fireplace that barely illuminated the room. A central chair before the fire cast long shadows on the row of hooded men.

"This news is most displeasing," a voice proclaimed from the chair. The hooded men shivered despite the warmth that the fire provided. "But what I want to know is why I had to find out from the Quibbler that the Chamber of Secrets had been opened and that the female basilisk and her nest had been wiped out."

"My lord," a daring figure stepped forward from the others. Harry recognized the voice and figure immediately. It was Snape. "I apologize for not informing you sooner."

"Step back Severus," Voldemort ordered. "I was the one that requested that you bring me any information that you had on the new Defense professor. Your assessment of his abilities is interesting but perhaps outdated. If he was able to slay an adult basilisk he should not be taken lightly.

"What I want to know is why your sons and daughters did not think to join the new professor in his adventure into my ancestor's secret chamber? Why did none of them care to report to you that my basilisk had been slain?"

The other men cowered, wishing that they could merge with the shadows.

"My lord," it was Snape again. "The Slytherins had scheduled quidditch tryouts all day today."

"Are all your children Slytherins?" Voldemort demanded. "Travers, you were a Ravenclaw."

"My lord," the man called Travers stepped forward, "my daughter was in Ravenclaw, but she is no longer at Hogwarts."

Harry could feel Tom's anger and frustration.

"It is clear that we must work to recruit more to our side," Voldemort hissed. "Our young snakes need to be reminded that while fun to watch, quidditch is merely a game. They must learn to prioritize. Have your sons and daughters reach out to their peers and create a list of those we may bring over to our cause."

He could feel the relief that the gathered Death Eaters felt.

"Nott," Voldemort called out. "There is the matter of your trip to France."

"Sir."

The Death Eaters closest to him quickly moved aside.

"Crucio!"

Harry woke with a start. He could still feel Tom's anger and frustration, and his head by his scar throbbed.

"Are you alright Harry?" Even in the early light of dawn Harry could see the concern in his best friend's eyes.

"Yeah," he lied, "just reliving my first trip into the Chamber of Secrets." He made to rub his forearm where the basilisk's fang had pierced his skin.

"I almost wish we could have seen Professor Saotome take down the basilisk," Dean yawned as he rolled out of his four poster.

"Did you see his knockers?" Seamus added from behind the curtains of his bed.

Dean whistled. "What'd you suppose happened to her, um, his shirt when he was fighting the basilisk?"

"I thought he had enlarged it to wrap around the basilisk's head," Neville stated as he joined the conversation.

"Do you suppose he kept us in the dark to keep us from seeing his rack or to protect us from the basilisk's gaze?" Dean asked.

"He did say that he didn't have any feminine modesty," Harry added. He was sure that each of the boys had gotten a good view of their professor's female form topless.

"I wish Hermione hadn't been with us," Seamus lamented.

"Too bad someone hadn't thought to bring Collin's camera."

"Why are you blokes up so early?" Harry finally asked. The topic of their sex-changing professor and his rack made Harry feel, well, he wasn't sure how it made him feel as he'd never actually felt this before.

"I wanted to go check out the quidditch tryouts," Seamus replied. "Promised Fay that I'd cheer her on. Let me tell you, she knows how to handle a bat."

"Yeah, when she's on her knees." Seamus threw a pillow at Dean. "I hear she likes something long and hard between her legs too."

"Don't be jealous, mate."

"I've seen you in the bath mate, I ain't got nothing to be jealous of," Dean teased as he tossed the pillow back as his friend. "I like my girls to be a bit taller so I don't have to bend over to snog."

"Just have her sit on your lap mate," Seamus advised.

"Or have her lay on top of you," Neville added.

The other boys all turned to Neville. The once puggy, soft boy was now the tallest of the group surpassing even Dean and Ron (who had been the tallest two back in their first year).

"He was the first one to get a date to the ball last year," Dean pointed out.

Seamus nodded, "And the only one to stay out all night."

Ron eyed Neville, "Ginny said she didn't stay with you the whole night."

The taller boy nodded, "A Ravenclaw in her year started dancing with her. I ended up dancing with Abbott, Bones, and Li."

"You and Li?" Dean exclaimed. "But she's" he put his hand up around the middle of his chest.

"That's why she ends up on top." Seamus gave the shy boy a congratulatory pat on the shoulder.

"We don't ended things over the summer," Neville ceded. "She's in the 'Dumbledore's a fraud' camp and didn't like that I disagreed with her about that."

Harry stole a glance at Seamus and Dean. The former had made his own statements about Harry and Dumbledore a week ago but had since apologized for it. Even having accepted the apology, it was still a sore spot for Harry.

"What's the story with you and Hermione?" Dean asked, quickly shifting the subject.

"What story?" Ron quickly chimed in a bit too forcefully.

"We're just friends," Neville shrugged. "It wasn't until I was with Li that I realized I was just substituting her for Hermione. Hermione and I talked a bit last year when she was with Krum, and we're fine as just friends."

Ron's face quickly relaxed.

"What's with you and Padma?" Dean turned to Ron.

"Nothing," Ron shrugged. "I just apologized to her about wrecking the ball for her last year. She accepted. Besides, she's with Fitch-Finley."

Talk remained on the girls in their year with Dean and Seamus dominating the conversation as they headed down to the baths. Of the girls he knew Cho Chang was the one that his mind always came back to. She'd walked in on him and the others while they'd been covered in stink-sap on the Hogwarts Express. In their first week of school together she seemed preoccupied when they passed each other in the hallways and corridors.

"Neville," Ron said as quietly and discretely as possible.

"Yeah."

"Look mate, I'm sorry."

A perplexed look formed on Neville's face.

"Last year I cracked jokes about how you'd be the only bloke in our year without a date," Ron admitted sheepishly. "Not only was I wrong, but you were the first of us to get a date and you hooked up with Li. I shouldn't have"

Neville held up his hand while giving Ron then Harry an odd look. "You both really thought that?"

Harry and Ron exchanged a quick glance before nodding.

"Well, I don't expect me to apologize for snogging your sister," Neville finally said as he turned around. "But really, you though Crabbe and Goyle would get dates before me?"

* * *

The second week of classes began with much anticipation as the eager and impressionable students hoping for answers. Some of them had endured a grueling morning of training as they sought to endure his weeding out process. Said process had involved the students carrying two buckets of water from the lake to the top of one of the towers and filling a room turned reservoir with water, all without the aid of magic or magical tools. To their credit half of the perspective students had made it their second trip before giving up. By the time breakfast was beginning to be served only a handful remained – Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Su Li, Theodore Nott, and Helen Monroe.

Word of the grueling morning training had not dampened the spirits of the regular students though. While some wished to know the details of how he dispatched the basilisk or about his curse, the half hour of stretching quickly silenced them. Each class breezed by quickly though not quick enough for some exhausted students.

He was pleasantly surprised when the three fifth years, fourth year, and second year all returned on Tuesday, then Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday as he'd ordered them to not use magic or any magical potions to alleviate the soreness in their muscles.

Unfortunately Friday's classes were not destined to be like the rest as Delores Umbridge had finally notified him that she would begin inspection of his classes and teaching methods. Fridays were dedicated to the fifth years with Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw in the morning, and Gryffindor/Slytherin in the afternoon.

Meals at the staff table had been tense over the past week as the High Inquisitor had chosen a different day to sit in with each professor. The first victim had been the divination professor. Little had been said of her classes as the divination professor rarely ever appeared at the daily meals. The second victim what Professor Bins. It had been said that the ghost had not even bothered to notice the High Inquisitor and simply lectured the entire period, then again, that was what he'd always done.

There was an anxious energy in the air as he walked towards his classroom. Some of the other professors watched as he left the great hall, most choosing instead to focus on their own classes or plans for the weekend.

The large classroom was on the opposite side of the castle from his chambers, though an adjacent room served as his office. Deactivating the seal on the rooms he eyed it curiously. Someone had attempted to access his office without permission, triggering the first of the defensive spells he'd placed on the door.

"Good work Martin."

To the outside world the trespasser appeared to be trapped in a sphere of darkness. In reality they were bound in an illusion. Martin was a master of illusions, having captured many prey and predators, while avoiding having to directly confront either. For such a small creature it was crafty.

*Let her go,* he ordered, reverting to his native tongue. She would wake up thinking that she'd simply been unable to enter his office and had tried everything. Simple, effective, and believable made the illusion believable.

"Ms. Umbridge," he said once she was out of the illusion.

She spun around and tried to quickly collect herself, "Professor Saotome."

Placing his hand on the door he waited for the seal and the rope to appear before infusing it with mana and triggering the door to open. "I just want to be clear – your role here is to observe my class, correct?"

"That is correct." The muscles in her cheeks suggested that she was used to faking a sincere smile just as she was doing now. Her eyes had a spark of anger and resentment as a result of the humiliation he'd already piled on her.

Shrugging, he entered his classroom as the first of the fifth years appeared at the end of the hallway. Desks lined the walls in a horseshoe leaving only the front of the classroom and the center of the room clear save for some floor mats. A wooden mannequin stood at the front of the class. "If you wish to observe, please, stand over there."

The classroom filled quickly. Unlike the Gryffindors and Slytherins, the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs had no qualms about sharing desks or sitting near each other. With a few minutes to spare all of the students had taken a seat, some opening their books and scrolls in preparation of his lecture.

"Since you're all here I'll start early," he stated. A quick roll call verified that they were all there. "As you can see, Delores Umbridge, the Hogwarts High Inquisitor, will be observing our class today. Please, pay her no attention as she is only here to observe.

"After testing you lot last week I now have a better understanding of what you are all capable of." His uninvited guest began to hem and haw in an attempt to draw his attention. "I'm glad that you got my note that you wear something comfortable for class as you will be active.

"Now, what can you tell me about shielding spells?"

Padma raised her hand and waited for him to acknowledge her.

"Miss Patil."

"Shielding charms are used to protect oneself from offensive spells." It was not the textbook definition, but his had not been the textbook question.

"Correct – two points."

She beamed at him. "I know that you lot know how to cast a shield charm, but do you know why the shield charm does not protect you from all spells?"

No one raised their hands, though the High Inquisitor began to hem and haw at him.

"It's because the shield charm, is a low level spell. It is great at deflecting hexes and jinxes, and minor curses, but the shield charm is not designed to counter powerful magic, merely deflect low level magic.

"Did you know that if I threw this ball hard enough, it could break through a standard shield charm?" he held up the rubber racket ball. "Miss Li, you threw up some nice shield charms, would you stand over there?"

Su got up and moved to the center of the room. "Go ahead, cast it."

"Protago!"

He threw the ball casually then rushed to the back of the room to catch the ball.

Several gasps filled the room. "You just Disapparated!"

"I thought you couldn't do that in Hogwarts!"

He cleared his throat, silencing his students. "I did not Disapparate, I ran to the back of the room to catch the ball once I felt it break through Miss Li's shield charm. You felt it too, did you not Miss Li?"

She nodded.

From the back of the class he could see that even Delores was startled, though she really wanted to interrupt his lesson. "I'm sure that you've all heard that the strength of your spells varies, but there is a limit to what each spell can and cannot endure. I'd say that Miss Li's shield could take me tossing this ball at 140 km/hour. Good thing I threw this at roughly 160km/hour. Had this ball hit her it would have hurt, but it wouldn't have injured her.

"Mr. Finch-Finley, you had a good leg-locker curse, would you please try that spell against Miss Li's shield charm?"

It was a common curse that even the second years could casually throw around. As expected the curse (a blue streak) rebounded from the shield charm.

"Clearly the force behind Mr. Finch-Finley's leg-locker curse was not greater than the ball I threw," he surmised. "You can see that it did not travel as fast as the ball either. Also, notice that each shield charm can only take one hit regardless of the power of the spell."

The spent the rest of the class discussing the merits of the shield charm versus summoning something to provide physical cover, and then he had half the class throwing balls at the other as they cast shield charms. By the end of the second hour the class was exhausted.

"I want thirty centimeters on shield charms and how much force your shield charm can endure."

Once the students were finally out of the classroom the High Inquisitor turned on him. "Why did you ignore me?"

"You said you were here to observe," he replied. "You did not say that you were going to interrupt my class."

Affronted she tried to puff her chest in some sort of intimidation display, something completely lost to Ranma due to her diminutive stature and his lack of knowledge in regards to English body language. To him it was a toad puffing itself up.

"Now, if you have objections about my class, this is the time for you to voice those concerns."

* * *

For the second time since the start of the term Ranma found himself standing before the Headmaster, the Minister of Magic, and two aurors. Everything was the same as before, except for the fact that rather than speaking in the Headmaster's office they were in the Defense classroom. The remains of desks were strewn throughout the room, papers were everywhere, and a bizarre creature lay unconscious on the ground.

"In my defense," he began, "I had clearly asked the High Inquisitor if she was only going to observe my class. She replied that that was it. I proceeded to conduct my class just as I had my earlier class but when I threw the ball to test Mr. Potter's shield charm Ms. Umbridge decided to spell the ball."

"I'm sure that Mr. Potter provoked her," the Minister muttered.

"Miss Granger quickly cast a shield charm which deflected the ball, and sent it crashing into a pile of paper."

"Who is it that your ball smashed through Miss Li's shield charm but not Miss Grangers?" Dumbledore asked curiously.

"Well, I aimed the ball to hit Mr. Potter's shield, then Delores' spell changed the trajectory and finally there were the two shield spells that the ball bounced off of. I'm guessing that she meant it as a distraction so that she could grab hold of my spellbook.

"My question is why did Delores feel the need to pick up my spellbook? I'd clearly left the book on my desk but she decided to grab my spellbook. The book obviously has enchantments on it to prevent people not associated with me from stealing it. It was the book that transformed her" he glanced at the thing that would put even Taro to shame "into that."

"And the students?"

Ranma shrugged, "Once she caught her reflection she panicked. Most of the students panicked when they saw her. The Slytherins started shooting off spells at her when she charged at them. I don't think she realized how big she is or that her current form has skin like a giant's because their spells bounced off of her and hit other students.

"I tried to subdue her as peacefully as I could" he stressed his acting skills while also playing on the fact that he was not a native English speaker "but her hide is pretty durable." He'd lost track of the number of punches that he had landed or the number of times he had to break a desk over her head (multiple times). "It's a good thing that Mr. Longbottom managed to trip her up with that stink-sap."

He waited has the men before him contemplated his side of the story. In her current state, Delores was not able to communicate with them. Her current form also made it hard to assess the extent of her superficial injuries.

"Can you undo the spell?" Dumbledore finally asked.

"It's a protective spell on the book. Since the book is destroyed she'll have to bear the brunt of the curse until she can purify herself." He shrugged. It was a lie, but they didn't know that. She wouldn't even need to take a good bath and wash off all of the magical ink to undo the curse that turned her into blend of grendal/qulin/Yiren mix as the combined effects of the packets of instant magical water would last only a week under the right conditions. If it had been him it would have only lasted a day as his own curse did not work well with the temporary curse/cures.

"Purify?" Minister Fudge repeated.

"It's not about her atoning for what she did," Ranma replied. "The ink used in the spell is reacting to her now, and the only way to undo the curse is to purify her."

"Wouldn't the Mandrake Restorative Draught restore her?" Professor Dumbledore suggested.

Ranma shook his head, "She needs to remove the ink or else every time she is splashed with cold water she'll transform."

Fudge was hesitant to look at Delores, "I don't see any ink."

"The ink is magical," he explained. "She just needs to sit under a waterfall and purify herself."

Though skeptical, Dumbledore nodded, "You are the expert in eastern magic and curses."

"How can she purify herself?" the Minister asked finally.

"She'll need a waterfall, a natural one," Ranma explained. He was doing his best not to break out laughing. "She'll have to stand under a natural waterfall for a week without the aid of any magic."

Seeing the disbelieving look in the Minister's eyes Ranma knew that he needed to sell this idea, "It's very common way to remove a curse, though the more powerful the curse the longer one will have to stay in the water to purify themselves. But that's assuming that she wants to purify herself."

They other men looked at him, then at Delores as she lay on the floor.

"Plus, her transformation destroyed her outfit," he pointed to the shredded remains of her pink outfit. The two aurors failed to repress a shudder at the thought of a naked Umbridge. The Minister of Magic clearly paled, though the Headmaster quickly conjured a curtain to drape over the cursed High Inquisitor.

"It seems that I will need to appoint her an aide," Fudge finally ceded. "Delores will need time to recover, and purify."

"Might I suggest someone that doesn't dislike children?" Ranma interjected. "She seemed like she couldn't even tolerate being around them."

* * *

The great hall was abuzz with gossip as word of the disastrous Defense class spread throughout the student body.

"Is it true that Umbridge turned into a kappa?"

"It was worse than a kappa – I think she turned into a gorgon."

"I didn't see," Lisa Turpin stated. "All I saw was movement from my side and then I was run over by whatever it was that Umbridge turned into."

"She had ten arms," Ron shuddered. "I thought spiders were bad…."

"Did she really take out half the class?" George (or was it Fred?) asked.

Harry nodded.

"Wicked!" Fred whistled.

"I think I need to start carrying a camera around," Dean said with a glance at Colin. "Mum tends to believe most of what I tell her, but this is just unbelievable. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't been there myself."

"I've never heard of that kind of spell!" Hermione exclaimed as she slammed her book down.

"Watch it!" Ron pouted. "You nearly spilled my juice!"

Lavender chuckled in amusement.

"Not everything is in the books we have here," Parvati stated. "You forget that we're only used to dealing with common English magic. Professor Saotome's magic is like nothing we've experienced but that doesn't mean that it's not possible."

"That's not what's bothering me," Hermione huffed. "What I want to know is how he is able to do what he does. It's a system of magic that is completely contrary to what we know, using different processes and steps than we do. Doesn't that interest you?"

The other girls looked at her curiously.

"Are you sure you're in the right house?" Ron teased. "I see where you're coming from Hermione, but some of us have enough trouble figuring out wand style of magic that we don't have the energy to consider another path of magic."

"She's got a point little brother," Fred said as he eyed Hermione. "The stuff that we've produced can't even compare to what Professor Saotome can do with a bit of paper, but I'm guessing that it's not as easy as he makes it look."

"Right," George agreed. "Still, if we could see the steps he takes to get the results he gets, and we can incorporate it into our products; we'd be raking in the galleons."

Parvati gave the twins an appraising look. "When we were on the Hogwarts Express, Professor Saotome said something about the magic that had caused the springs being 'God level' magic. He said that he couldn't turn us into regular guys or the same copy of a guy because it would infringe on some copyright issues that a joke shop out east has the rights to."

"That's why he turned us into male versions of ourselves," Lavender added. "Otherwise we'd have all looked alike."

"So I would have had a nice set of knockers if I'd been born a girl," George sighed. Seeing the look his twin gave him George shrugged. "Don't you think they were pretty nice Hermione?"

The bushy haired genius blushed as she fumbled with her book and tried to hide behind it. "Yeah, you know you were jealous."

* * *

A/N

As mentioned in the fic, there were hundreds of springs of drowned girl. The one that Ranma fell into just happened to be one of the closest to the edge of the valley. A young Herb likely went to the closest spring and thus the monkey that he captured turned out to look like Ranma.

Dreamingfox


	5. Chapter 5

The chill of the late autumn morning clashed with her warm body. She could see the trail of steam she left as she ducked, dodged, and danced through the courtyard.

"Ouch!" someone, probably Helen, exclaimed as one of the dozens of tiny bouncing balls hit them.

Ginny jumped over a bench to avoid several balls.

"Don't spill the water!" Neville shouted even as he spun leapt over a ball and made his way up the stairs that lined the wall of the courtyard.

After two weeks of training under Saotome Sensei, Ginny thought she had a better understanding of what he was up to. Unlike with their classes sensei did not spend time stretching. That was something that they were supposed to do on their own time. Training started every morning at 5:30 with the five trainees carrying buckets of water from the lake to the top of a tower along the northern courtyard. Once the room turned reservoir was filled they would spend time practicing a kata – a series of jumps, punches, and kicks until they had all done it correctly. After that they all changed into a kimono and were doused by the water they had used to fill the reservoir.

Evening training was different as they spent the time sparring, usually five against one as he lectured them about magical theory and martial arts philosophy. He was training them to be observant during a fight and how to think on their feet.

They were at the point where they could feel the energy moving through their muscles before it catapulted them up the wall or stairs. Saotome Sensei wanted them to be at the point where they didn't feel it at all. It was not to say that he wanted them to go back to how they had been before they had started training, but that he wanted it to become so regular that they did not even have to even consider it. As he had explained to them, due to their long exposure to magic they were able to perform feats that would boggle a no-maj's mind (that being the American term for muggle). Their internal magic allowed them to leap higher and further than a normal person, but they needed to train that internal magic so that they could do those things instinctively and automatically.

Yes, it was physical training that pushed their bodies, but the results were already showing. Training had shifted from carrying buckets of water up from the lake to one of the towers to carrying water through one of the side courtyards and up to the tower while avoiding being tagged with one of the balls. First it had been the blue balls that simply stung and occasionally left welts, then the larger and heavier brown balls that would throw them off balance and occasionally spill their water, and finally the number of buckets they each carried had increased. Theodore and Neville were currently at eight, Ginny and Su had four, and Helen was at two large buckets.

Since they had increased the number of buckets, Ginny had noticed that she was eating three times as much as before, but had not put on any weight though she had become leaner and considerably more flexible and stronger. Helen, the little Hufflepuff, had slimmed down as well but that was it. Su had changed the least. It was Neville and Theodore that had changed the most. Both had been bigger boys but now they were lean and trim having burned off nearly all of their body fat without packing on the bulging muscles.

The changes weren't just physical either as both of the fifth year boys were able clear half of the stairs in a single bound. It was impressive, but nothing compared to their sensei who could clear the wall with ease.

Training with sensei had begun in earnest following the Umbridge incident. He had accepted them as students with a few conditions – no fighting against each other (sparring was not seen as fighting), do not share with anyone else anything about what they learned from him (a magically binding contract), do what he instructed, always have each other's respect and support, and not to use what they learned to bully others and to always help others.

While some had thought it nonsense at first, Ginny knew that training with sensei had improved her flying. While her body had not caught up with her she knew that she could spot snitches quicker and even the projected flight path of snitches and bludgers as a result of the physical training that she was enduring. The rest of her teammates had merely attributed it to her finally earning a spot on the team and being able to practice with the best team in the school, but she knew better. Even a quick bludger was slow compared to the large balls that Saotome Sensei threw at them. She was at the point where she could even spot the practice snitch sooner than Harry.

Academically she was able to keep a clear head while in class. It was the same for her fellow Gryffindor as Neville, who had been notorious at wrecking potions and blowing up or melting cauldrons, had turned in a perfect potion and had earned more points than even Hermione had in a week of classes.

"Good job," Saotome Sensei declared from the top of the reservoir. With a flick of his wrist he sent several balls flying, not to hit his students but to knock several other balls around and seemingly herd the rest of the balls into a pen. She'd been sure that he'd been using magic the first time she'd witnessed him doing that, but he insisted that this part of their training be completely magic free.

Without the threat of more balls hitting them Helen, Su, Ginny, and Theodore ascended the stairs quickly, buckets in hand, and emptied them into the reservoir. The heat that they had built up in their many trips down to the lake and back to the courtyard was nothing compared to the sweat that they soon worked up as Saotome Sensei lead them through a kata. He was not just showing them how to throw a punch, kick, elbow, or knee, he was showing them how to maintain their balance and not let their momentum control them. As the courtyard was filled with balls and other debris the five students were forced to improvise parts of own kata to adjust to their terrain.

The basic standing katas allowed them to stretch and work on their flexibility. The advanced katas worked on their balance and ability to adjust on the fly as the terrain was not level. They learned to roll with a hit and their increased their durability and stamina during their sparring session while also being able to use what they had picked up from the katas in an actual fight.

Today they managed to complete the kata after only needing to run through it three times, a new record for them.

"Nice work," Sensei stated. "You've earned more weights." Each of them groaned. "You can put the new vests on after you change."

Sensei's belief that their bodies would adapt to the weights was true, as each of them was now carrying around at least thirty kilos beneath their robes and clothes daily. The only time they were free of the weights were when they were running with the buckets.

"Hurry up and change," he ordered them.

Though they were all sweating profusely their excess body heat was soon stripped away once they took a position in the empty rooms below the reseroir. The girls were provided one room while the boys were in the other. A tabletop provided them with the space needed to place their dirty clothes but nothing else. There was no need for privacy between the girls as they went from sweat and dirt stained clothes to clean white silk kimonos. She assumed the same was true of the boys. Despite his sex-changing curse, Saotome Sensei always changed with the boys and waited for them to depart for their classes before dousing himself with warm water to change back to his male form.

The reservoir that they had labored to fill was slowly emptied onto the students and their sensei via gravity as a small opening spilled water down onto each of them. The cold water had initially been a shock to their systems but within minutes Ginny felt at peace as if the water had washed away all doubts, fears, and worries from her.

Only half of the water had been emptied on them. Still, it seemed like the end came all too soon. After their evening practice they would again rinse off. Su had previously mentioned that it was a cleansing or purifying, not a proper bath, and was used to help them attain a state of clarity of mind and body. When they were ready sensei would have them all purify in the same pool.

Ginny wasn't sure if she was ready for that yet, though she supposed that eventually she might be.

"I think your boobs have grown," Su stated.

The redhead fought back the need to blush. Having supposedly cleansed herself she shouldn't need to feel embarrassed or ashamed of her body, especially with another girl. "Do you really think so?"

Though older, Su was significantly shorter and did not need to bend over to get a better look at Ginny's still growing bust. "May I?"

She gave the Ravenclaw a tentative nod. The feel of Su's hand cupping her left breast sent a shiver through her body.

"They've grown," Su sighed enviously as she gave the firm mound a squeeze. "It's not just that the rest of you got skinnier either, don't you think so Helen?"

The youngest girl did not hesitate to join the inspection. "I can't wait for mine to grow."

"We should hurry up," Ginny suggested as she heard the clock tower chiming.

Though they had spent the past week getting used to their new routine and the placement of their training they were still learning to navigate the corridors. The court yard where they trained was on the northern side of the castle. Su and Helen had it the easiest as the north side of the castle were where the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuff dorms were located. The Gryffindor and Slytherin dorms were on the south side of the castle giving them the longer trip to and from training.

Neville quickly caught up to her as she dashed through the corridors. His hair still wet, he was running barefoot. It was easier for the boys as they were now able to land the two story jump from the purifying bathroom even if they were doing so with nearly fifty kilos strapped on them.

"Your, um," Neville fought to contain a blush as he averted his eyes.

Ginny glanced at her attire. She'd been in such a rush to dress and return to Gryffindor tower that she had ripped her shirt when she'd pulled it on. "I thought it was just wet from my hair."

Ever the gentleman, Neville pulled off his shirt and tossed it to her. While he was not muscular he was nice to look at. With their dorms closer Su and Helen had not felt the need to rush off as she and Neville had. Theodore had since taken a different path into the dungeons leaving just the two Gryffindors alone in the corridor. Wearing just the weight vest he it was clear that he had lost some weight since starting his training under their sensei.

"Where are you two going?" a familiar and irritating voice demanded.

Both Gryffindors slowed down to a civil a bit rushed walk. "We are headed back to the Gryffindor dorms for a quick bath," Ginny replied as she eyed her brother. "You've been back here a few weeks already, shouldn't you know that by now?"

The ever stiff as a board Percy Weasley held himself regally. "In that state of undress?"

"Morning practice with Saotome Sensei," Neville stated. "My shirt was damaged and I didn't have a spare."

"Why not use your wand?" Percy demanded.

"Sensei prefers that we not use our wands for an hour after practice," the taller boy answered.

"And why is that?"

Neville shrugged, "Something about letting our bodies restore our chi reserves instead of relying on magic for everything."

The older Weasley looked Neville up and down, "You may go. I wish to speak with Miss Weasley."

"If you have something to say to me you can say it before both of us," she said defiantly. She loved her idiot brother, but he was being an idiot. Not only had he sided with the ministry against Dumbledore and thus their father, he had the gall to bring up the fact that he resented the stigma of being Arthur Weasley's son. "If this is a matter that relates to your position as the Junior Inquisitor then I suggest that you schedule an appointment."

He stiffened.

Percy had arrived the Monday after the High Inquisitor had 'fallen ill'. As the Hogwarts' Junior Inquisitor, he acted in Delores Umbridge's stead while she was off recovering. In the week since he had approached Ron in an attempt to curry the youngest Weasley son's favor. It had not gone well.

"Today is Saturday," he stated. "You have no classes today."

"I was hoping to get some breakfast before quidditch practice," she shot back. When Percy had been prefect and eventually Head Boy he'd at least shown enough interest in quidditch, though perhaps that was because the team influenced the outcome of the House Cup. Even then he'd lectured the twins about how quidditch would only prevent them from reaching their full potential. "If the Junior Inquisitor wishes to meet with me, then you shall have to schedule something with my head of house."

Turning sharply she strode off towards Gryffindor tower. Neville followed suit. Once they were sure that he was not following them they picked up their pace again, dashing up the stairs a what others considered a breakneck speed

Few of the Gryffindor girls were up at such an early hour, save for the Prefects, and they had their own bath if they wanted to venture out of the tower to use it. By the time she was finished with her bath and redressed there were only a handful of girls up.

Spotting Harry, Ron, and Hermione along with Neville in the common room she rushed to catch up with them. It was perhaps because of this that she did not get along well with her fellow fourth year lions. As the youngest Weasley and the only daughter her brothers had always looked out for her, but in Gryffindor that mentality had hampered her ability to get to know the other girls in her year. It did not help that Romilda Vane ruled their roost and did not like the Weasleys.

Only Colin, as the fifth wheel in the boy's dorm, had bothered to speak with her when he wasn't busy taking pictures of everything. It had not helped that he spent much of their first year petrified.

"You need to do something about that." It was not uncommon for Hermione to chastise Harry or Ron, but the look of concern on her face and the look on Ron's face suggested that they had both agreed that whatever it was that Harry was dealing with needed to be addressed.

"It's just a dream," Harry muttered. Glancing at Neville it was clear that while he was close with his dormmates he did not trust them the way that he trusted Ron and Hermione.

"You know," Neville said as he rolled his shoulders and tested the flexibility of the weights he wore "Se- Professor Saotome has us sit in cold water to help us clear our minds."

The others looked at Neville skeptically.

"It helps. I used to be so nervous in Potions but our training has helped me calm down a bit."

"Is that why I caught you shirtless in the loo?" Ron asked.

Neville nodded. "I just needed a bucket of water to splash over me to help calm my nerves before potions."

Still skeptical, Harry shook his head.

"Why not take it to Dumbledore?" Unhappy with the direction of the conversation, Hermione tried valiantly to steer the conversation into what she deemed to be an appropriate direction.

Harry shook his head, "He's too busy dealing with the High and Junior Inquisitors."

"So talk to Professor Saotome," Neville suggested. "He is the Defense Professor for a reason."

Ginny rounded on Harry, "You're afraid that because our last Defense professor was a Death Eater pretending to be the real professor, this professor might be out to get you too?"

That stopped Harry in his tracks.

"You think that Professor Saotome is using us to get to you just because that happened with Moody?" She glared at him, "That would be like me never taking up a diary again."

She could see that her words had stunned him. He carried the weight of the wizarding world on his shoulders, especially following Cedric's death. That was why he was too blind to the rest of the world that was passing him by. He had quidditch, and Ron and Hermione, but that was it.

"Ginny's right," Ron finally said, surprising all of them. "I know you feel that Dumbledore's too busy for you, but you have people around you who are offering to help. Neville and I didn't have to talk to Seamus about his mum and the Daily Prophet but we did because we both felt that he and his mum were out of line. And last year when we had our row, who helped you? Neville did, that's who.

"Now quit being such a bloody git and get that stick out of your arse!"

* * *

The early morning sun failed to pierce the autumn canopy of the Forbidden Forest. Every breath he took was full of potent magical energy. Its aura was greater than the Ryugenzawa suggesting that there were many more magical creatures in this forest and not just creatures that had been enchanted. He'd heard the tales and stories that the students and other teachers had spun of the centaurs, werewolves, acromantulas, unicorns, hippogriffs, threstrals, pixies, and other magical creatures.

He was barely inside the forest when he heard the herd. Dropping from the trees, he purposefully walked along the obvious path until the herd made their presence with the twang of a bowstring as it loosed an arrow in a display of power and authority.

Ranma stood still out of respect as a score of the demi-humans emerged. The foremost of the group had deep red hair and a full beard that matched his gleaming chestnut body and long red tail. "I do not recognize you, wizard, but you are trespassing onto our lands."

The defense professor bowed deeply. It was uncharacteristic for him to show such respect, but he was not here to provoke a fight. "It was my intention to seek out the centaurs of the Forbidden Forest."

The redhead eyed him, gauging his ability and sincerity. "I am Ranma Saotome, and I came here seeking some wood for your land."

His words caused some of the herd to bristle.

"I am Ronan," the red replied. "There is plenty of wood beyond our lands, go find it there."

'One, two, three, four, five' he counted in his mind. He knew that his ego and mouth more often than not got him into trouble. "While that is true, there is something special about the wood in your forest. I require some of your wood and am willing to barter for it."

Centaurs were not motivated by wealth, but there were things that they might want that could not be provided or found in the forest.

"What could you have to offer us that we could not take from you?" one of the other males scoffed.

"I can aid you in reclaiming some of your land," Ranma proposed. "It is my understanding that the forest is you domain, but you are not the only ones in the forest. I could help you reclaim some of your territory back from the spiders."

A murmur passed amongst the herd's warrior and hunters. There were at best a score strong, insufficient numbers to deal with a nest of giant, semi-sentient spiders that could breed ten times as often and as many than the demi-humans. It was likely that this party was the last line of defense for the foals and the females with at least twice this number dealing with the threat from the spiders.

"Wizards will destroy the forest in fighting with the spiders," Ronan stated. "It is not worth it for us"

"I will not destroy or burn the forest," Ranma interrupted. "I give you my word that I will not destroy the forest. I might take out a tree or two, but I will not destroy the forest."

They considered him, unsure what to think.

"I was the one who slew the female basilisk and her young beneath Hogwarts. It was the enemy of the spiders, but had the young grown to maturity they would have posed a threat to your herd. I wear the skin of the mother." He unbuttoned his shirt to reveal part of the bounty he had claimed from his trip into the Chamber of Secrets.

"If you can clear out a sufficient portion of land for us, we would allow you to claim a tree from that area," Ronan finally offered, "provided that you do not damage the forest beyond what you have promised us."

Under escort it took nearly an hour for him to reach the contested area. Along the way he watched as the centaurs slew any spiders that they came across regardless of how tiny it was.

"Follow the webs," Ronan advised, "you will encounter the younglings first. You will have until sun down to clear out as much as you can"

"I'll have clear out two square kilometers in by noon." It was a brash claim, but it earned him a smirk, or at least he thought it was a smirk.

The young master martial artist had gone less than fifty paces before he encountered the first of the young acromatulas. It was the size of a dog. Ranma bashed it over the head, squashing it and sending its bodily fluids flying. From the looks of its remains it was not even an adult but its venom sack was full. By the time he'd stashed the organ into a jar several angry acromatulas appeared. These were larger, though not as tall as he was.

The largest leapt straight at him only to have a hard punch rip through its torso. Enraged, the others attacked as one, only for Ranma to dance around them and land hard kicks to their legs, mangling the limbs but not incapacitating the creatures.

More of the creatures appeared; each one larger than the last until they were all far taller than he was. Still he continued to break legs, though he occasionally ripped off a fang or two when the spiders got too close.

The spiders had clearly underestimated him but were now much more cautious. They had him completely surrounded, but he didn't care. A large male leapt from a tree. Ranma sprang into the air and greeted it with a powerful kick to the head, smashing the brain and eyes. Stealing it's momentum he propelled himself into the tree branches above.

Looking down on the clutter of spiders he still saw some of the younger ones that he had initially encountered. He counted at least two score of them. Not nearly enough for what he had planned.

Using the spring in the branch he flung himself towards another branch with dozens of spiders eagerly waiting for him. He grabbed the leg of the closest one as it sought to catch him and instead was caught and then thrown into the others. Ranma used only enough force to throw his attackers back into other attackers, giving himself enough room to fight and to survey the battlefield.

Finally he'd had enough. Kicking off of a monstrous spider he flew into the air. With a clap of his hands he sent a spray of water at the spiders beneath him. The sudden appearance of a hundred and eight boars startled the spiders off as they found supple meals within their grasp. The clutter of spiders thinned as those closest to the giant boars secured the easy meals and sought to bring them back to their nest.

The distraction bought Ranma a few seconds to reassess his situation. He had to give the centaurs more credit as he had underestimated the number of spiders and their ferocity. And these were the young, expendable ones.

By his count he had killed only ten of the giant arachnids before he'd had to resort to the transformation tags. "I guess this the closest I'll get to fighting Spider-man."

Pulling out a pair of Wodao he dove into the clutter. The blades themselves were nothing special but in his hands they cut through the spiders with ease. It did not take the spiders long to grow wary of him as he left a trail of death in his wake. Hunger gave way to fear as the spiders began to retreat, leaving their injured behind. The young master did give chase, though only to ensure that the spiders were not likely to come back.

By his count he had reduced the number of young soldier spiders by a good two hundred at least and had easily reclaimed the desired space that the centaurs had wanted.

"I am not easily impressed," Ronan stated as he and his warriors descended upon the clearing. The twang of bowstrings followed them as they killed the injured spiders that remained. "Our warriors have not slain this many of their hunters in a single engagement, though this is only a fraction of their number."

Ranma shrugged. From what he had seen the spiders had nearly killed everything in their territory. How they were able to sustain their numbers he did not know, but he was sure that had he not intervened when he had the acromantulas would have cleaned out the forest. Only the centaurs were keeping them in check, but even they were losing ground to the deadly predators.

Pulling out some hempen cords he placed them around several trees. Using the blood and venom from the slain acromantulas he wrote out several charms on his blank spell tags before tying the tags onto the trees. "Do not take the charms off of these trees," he instructed Ronan. "The charms will keep the acromantulas from returning to this clearing as long as these trees remain standing."

The proud centaur nodded. "You may claim any one tree."

His needs were modest, but Ranma understood that he could not appear to get the short end of the stick. As he searched for a suitable tree he took note of the fact that not all of the defeated acromantulas were killed. A handful were captured, their legs ripped off so as to decrease their mobility. He knew that they would be useful in providing fresh venom and perhaps silk/webbing to the herd. The fortunate ones were killed and their bodies carried triumphantly back to the herd's camp. Ranma did not want to think about that.

While the spiders would provide the herd with food, Ranma knew that there was only so much one could take of the tough arachnid. Approaching a group of warriors as they prepared to slay a dying acromantula Ranma held up his hand. With a flick of his wrist he tagged the creature then sprayed it with water, transforming it into a boar before their eyes. A quick thrust put the startled creature out of its misery.

"Gather the legs of the spiders, Friend Ronan." The centaurs quickly did as he requested. In a flash the unappetizing, still twitching limbs were transformed into meaty venison haunches.

With his blades he cut several portions out of a leg and took a cut for himself. The warriors' eyes were on him as he bit into it and chewed down a piece. Ronan took another cut and bit into it. "Deer," he proclaimed before eating more.

The other warriors quickly joined in. Several centaurs brought wounded spiders over to him and he obliged them by turning them into nearly whole bears or large fowls. After a good thirty minutes the spiders had been cleared from the area as more of the herd joined them.

The females and young, though cautious, joined in on the feasting though many worked to cure and preserve the meat. The young males practiced slaying spiders and bears with the warriors.

Through it all, Ronan remained by Ranma, waiting for the human to claim his tree. It took him less than ten minutes to find a suitable tree to claim. It did not radiate power, but the plants and creatures that were near it were thriving despite the ravenous appetite of the magical spiders. "I claim this tree."

Displeasure was evident on the centaur's face though he was honor bound to accept Ranma's decision. It was a tall, mighty tree with a tall trunk over two meters thick and that went up ten meters before it branched out into eight sturdy branches. With a swift but powerful blow he cut off one of the thick branches before tying his purified rope around the trunk. "This tree is now mine. Your herd will grant me safe passage to this tree whenever I chose to come here."

Ronan nodded. "Friend Saotome, so long as you take nothing that is not yours, you will be permitted to traverse through our lands."

"Thank you, Friend Ronan." While it was not uncommon for centaurs to befriend others not of their race, it felt nice that they had bestowed that upon him.

As he carved the wood, several centaurs approached him. There was some bartering of tools, weapons, food, and aid, and the occasional tale of past exploits. Even the young, both male and female, approached him, some offering to assist as he carved and prepared the wood.

It was an odd sensation, but he could not help but think that this was what it should have been like in Nerima.

Wings fluttering in the air brought him out of his reverie. A large owl descended with a letter in tow. For a moment he could feel his heart slowly beating. Opening the scroll he quickly read the brief letter.

 _Professor Ranma Saotome,_

 _Your presence is required at the Hog's Head._

 _Professor Filius Flitwick_

To say that it was not what he had expected was an understatement. Still, he was not one to refuse another professor's minor request.

As the oldest and largest of the taverns in Hogsmead, the Three Broomsticks was nearly packed to the brim with traveling witches and wizards. In contrast the Hog's Head was a run-down joint at the edge of town. The building was slightly beaten and in need of repairs, and there was no music or merriment oozing from the dull brown façade as there had been with the warm and inviting Three Broomsticks.

"Aya!"

The familiar cry and subsequent hug caught him off guard. "Xiao-Hua?" He was no idiot, though he liked to act like one. He spoke little of her language, but he knew enough to know that her name was not really Shampoo.

"Ah, so she does know you," Filius smirked as he, for once, looked down on Ranma.

His mind raced, ignoring the compromising position he appeared to be in as the nubile Amazon cuddled up to him.

"Hello Ranma."

The other woman's sweet, polite voice sent him into a mild panic as he looked around for Kasumi's youngest sister. He waited for the mallet to fall, but when it didn't he finally turned to the tall young woman, "Kasumi, what are you doing here?"

Beside him Xiao-Hua sighed. Pulling herself and him to their feet she led them over to the table where several Hogwarts professors were seated.

Though the brunette had a smile on her face, her eyes lacked the usual glimmer of happiness. "I'm here to marry you."

He could only look on as Ponoma Sprout and Aurora Sinistra consoled Kasumi. Again he glanced around, this time matching the names to the professors' faces. Charity Burbage, Filius Flitwick, Rolanda Hooch, and Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank were also present. There was something about the amount of estrogen that made the situation unsettling for Ranma.

He chairs again, hoping that he had gotten the math right.

"Hello Ranma." The elder's voice sent a shiver down his spine. Turning around he saw the tiny Amazon elder balancing a tray with ten mugs. "Good to see you."

Her English was actual English and not the result of a translation charm.

"I don't know if I can say the same," he grumbled.

"Oh, don't be like that Ranma," she sighed as she set the tray on the table. "We're practically family now." That made no sense at all. He could understand why Kasumi might say what she'd said, but why had the elder not reacted? Things were not making sense to him. "I'll explain things once your co-workers are gone."

* * *

Dawn's light brought about an intense pain as Ranma had never felt before. It seemed as though Akane had tried to use her mallet to play golf with his head. He felt cold metal being pushed up against his throat and jaw but could not push away from it.

"You'll feel better soon."

He wanted to snap his eyes open, but he couldn't find the strength to. Instead his energy was diverted to his stomach muscles and throat as he violently, though belatedly, rejected what he'd consumed the previous night. Though he did not want to give the old ghoul too much credit, she had been right – he did feel better once he'd finished throwing up.

"Your students leave much to be desired," the elder said in a light but firm whisper.

As he slowly acclimated it dawned on him that he was naked save for the bed sheets that he was tangled in. He blinked. These were not bed sheets but furs. And he was not in a room but in the forest? His mind, now free of the fog of alcohol, quickly made the connections. "Kasumi!"

His new bride lay naked beneath the furs, her back and shoulders exposed as she lay curled up contently in the warmth of the furs with Xiao-Hua.

"Put this on," the elder chided.

Hastily he did so, ignoring the fact that twigs and pine needles had gotten to some sensitive areas. With his pants on he was at least able to look modest as he followed the ancient Amazon through the centaur encampment.

"Many of my warriors were impressed by your strength and stamina against the spiders, Friend Ranma," Ronan stated with a grin as the centaur approached the pair. "They were even more impressed by the display of your strength and stamina last night."

He couldn't help but scratch at the ivory writhe in his hair, though his mind cautioned him from removing it. 'I had a centaur marriage.'

"It is a good thing that they like you, son-in-law."

Ranma sat straight up, throwing off his blanket as he did so. Sweat covered his bare chest as his heart raced. It was just a dream, but it was not far off from a possible future.

Telling himself that he couldn't think about it at the moment, he quickly changed and rushed off for the northern courtyard.

"Good morning, Sensei." It was Theodore Nott. The Slytherin often passed by his room on his way from or to the Slytherin dorms.

"Morning."

The two of them dashed down the corridors, Nott trying to keep up with the quicker and nimbler master. The large boy's long strides prevented him from falling too far behind despite the fact that Ranma was only going at a third his usual speed.

"Is something bothering you, Sensei?" Theodore asked. By now he could at least run and talk without getting winded. "Does it have to do with the old crone that showed up for training last night?"

Ranma wanted to reply but he knew that he needed to tell all of them at once. "I'll tell you all when once we're done training."

It was actually a lot for him to process, much less for him to explain to his apprentices. 'My old man took the dowry from several families, so now I'm legally obligated to marry each of them… My old man is an idiot… I have several fiancées….' Somehow none of those seemed to be right.

There was nothing as good as some exercise to help him clear his mind. That had been the plan. Seeing that another Gryffindor had joined his two lions though seemed to throw a wrench into his pattern.

"Sensei," young Ginny Weasley stepped forward as soon as she spotted him, "our friend"

"Can speak for himself," Ranma finished as he stopped before the trio.

The redhead stepped back with a slight bow allowing the raven haired boy to step forward.

"I, I was told that perhaps training with you would help me clear my mind and remove distractions," the boy known as Harry Potter said tentatively.

"It's possible," the young master shrugged. "If you're interested then you'll have to endure what the others have. It's fortunate for you that they're still new at this so the weights shouldn't be too much for you to handle."

Harry blinked, unsure of what he had gotten himself into. "Weights?"

"Theodore, your old weights please."

The big Slytherin pulled up his shirt to reveal the two weight vests strapped to his chest. "This one's fifty kilos."

Ranma eyed the scrawny boy. "That might break him. Just give him thirty kilos for now but make sure he gets the twenty liter buckets. Everyone else, double your weights."

They knew by now that groaning in protest merely increased the weights that they had to carry. Obediently they did as instructed before setting off towards the lake. Ranma followed the newest inductee to see if the boy would break.

It did not take long for the others to lap Harry as the scrawny boy was not used to the rigors of this training.

"Don't set the buckets down," Neville advised as he rushed towards the lake.

"If you do, Sensei will empty it and you'll have to go back to the lake to refill them," Theodore finished.

"Take your time," Su added as she passed Harry up for the second time. "With Sensei focused on you we don't have to worry about the balls. We can fill up the reservoir without you."

The others had emptied their buckets at least four times before Harry had even reached the courtyard once. Leaping atop the landing in a single bound Ranma began pelting them with the various balls.

"If you drop the bucket because of the balls, you can still go ahead," Ginny said as she ran around Harry. "Just don't let anything into the water or else you'll have to dump it out in the courtyard."

Between the six apprentices it took them nearly forty minutes to fill the reservoir. The ensuing katas took another thirty minutes though he had the others show Harry how to complete the basic katas before he showed them the advanced katas. As an instructor he was impressed with Harry's determination but that was it as it was too soon to tell and it was unfair to compare him to the others who had already endured two weeks with him.

As the boys prepared to rinse, Harry appeared skeptical about wearing only a loincloth while their sensei wore a robe. The cold water though washed away his unfounded skepticism along with many other thoughts.

With training complete he waited for the boys to change before he himself transformed and changed clothes. Still unsure what to say he considered his options as he stood before them.

"Next weekend I am getting married." Why the hell did he start with that? "As my apprentices you will be expected to attend" and find out that not only will I have a wife but a mistress on the side. "I'll explain more about what your duties will be over the next week" once I find out why you need to be there.

Ginny was the first to raise her hand, "Does this have anything to do with the woman that showed up last night?"

Ranma nodded. "I'll have passes for you on Friday."

* * *

In his fifteen years of life Harry Potter had never felt so tired/exhausted/sore. If not for the fact that Hermione was forcing him to eat and that the muscles in his mouth were probably the only ones not sore, he might have forgone eating breakfast and simply fallen into a deep sleep.

The hour was still early and few students had been tempted out of bed by the thought of a hearty breakfast, leaving the Great Hall fairly empty. Only a few Prefects and the handful of apprentices and some of their friends were present.

"What's wrong with you?" Hermione finally demanded. His best female friend of course did not sleep in much. Being a Prefect also meant that she was supposed to be up and ready for Sunday rounds. Since food was involved Ron was up as well regardless of his duties as Prefect.

His mouth full of partially chewed food, he glanced at Ginny and Neville as the pair did their best imitation of Ron while eating.

"Eat up Harry," Neville said after washing down some eggs with water. "Otherwise you won't have the energy to endure tonight's training."

"Training?" a sneering voice repeated. "Is that what you call training? That's more like muggle slave labor."

All eyes turned towards the Slytherins table just beyond the Ravenclaw table. "If you ask me"

"Nobody asked you," little Helen Monroe interjected from the table behind the Gryffindors. Her bright eyes stood out from her dark completion as she glared at the pale Slytherin.

"Wouldn't it be easier to use magic to fill up that room with water?" the girl beside Draco suggested.

"It would," Ginny replied, "but it's not about doing what's easy."

"You mean doing things the muggle way," Malfoy sneered. "That's just bloody stupid!"

"For someone who has it easy it might look stupid, but then again, we all know that even though you've got it easy you always come up short. Isn't that why you haven't beaten Gryffindor in Quidditch or why you're not at the top of your year?" Her green eyes locked with Draco's grey. "But what am I saying? We all know that you like 'easy'."

Affronted, Pansy made to stand up but realized that she was alone as Theodore Nott gripped the two larger boys by the shoulder, keeping them planted to the Slytherin bench. "That was too far," he glanced at Ginny.

For a moment Ginny glared at him but relented. "You're right; I apologize for the slight Miss Parkinson."

"Be gracious Pansy," Theodore cautioned.

The petite Slytherin, startled by the turn of events, simply nodded.

"Draco, if you wish to test our ability and training, why not challenge" Nott glanced at the other apprentices "Longbottom to a duel?"

Draco eyed Neville, "Fine! I challenge you, Longbottom. One hour - the shore of the lake by the forest."

Neville glanced at Draco, then Nott, and finally back to Draco. "Fine."

"I'll be his second," Ginny proclaimed.

Neville shrugged. "Ginny Weasley is my second."

Draco smirked, "Pansy?"

"Fine."

"She's my second."

Trapped in the maelstrom of the moment, Harry and the others watched as the Slytherins departed first. The few Prefects that had been in the Great Hall when the challenge had been issued were on hand.

"You really shouldn't be doing this," Hermione lectured Neville.

The old Neville would have wilted beneath the studious and stern Hermione, but this one simply shrugged. "Sometimes you just have to stand up for what you believe in, remember?"

Harry glanced from Neville to Hermione, then back to Neville, then to Ginny and the others who apprenticed under Professor Saotome. Of the group he knew Neville and Ginny the best, but it was Neville who had changed the most since the start of the term. Initially he'd put it off as perhaps Neville having finally grown out of his shell over the summer, but thinking back on it, Neville had been the same on the Hogwarts Express as he had last year. The changes had all occurred since… well, since when? Racking his brain he realized that the changes had happened after he had started training with Professor Saotome.

"Padma," Nott said as he walked between the Gryffindors and Slytherins "can you be an impartial official for this duel?"

The taller of the Patil twins glance at the participants, both of which nodded in agreement. "O-kay."

Wand in hand she stepped between Draco and Neville as everyone else moved to the tree line. "This is a duel between Draco Malfoy and Neville Longbottom. Win by incapacitating or submission – no lethal spells."

Both combatants nodded again.

"Wands at the ready," Padma declared as she stepped out of their direct line of sight. Only Draco had his wand before him while Neville had his pointed at the ground in his left hand.

"Confringo!"

Neville threw something at the bolt of red causing the item to explode. Draco gasped as the air was forced out of his lungs. Dashing through the smoke Neville seemed to vanish.

Malfoy clutched at his ribs, gasping for breath, his wand held before him.

A blur flew from the smoke, burying itself in Draco's stomach. Doubled over and gasping for air it was all he could do to stand up as Neville rushed in to deliver a punishing uppercut that sent the darling of Slytherin flying into the lake.

"I don't think he can continue," Neville stated as he picked up two metallic bars from the shore.

Padma turned to Pansy, "As his second you must tend to him to see if he is able to continue as his opponent is allowing you this opportunity."

Startled, the petite Slytherin Prefect rushed to her companion's side. "He's unconscious."

"And his jaw is broken," Neville added.

"Do you wish to continue this duel?" Padma asked.

"No!" Pansy cried out. "Crabbe, Goyle; we need to get him to the hospital wing."

* * *

"In my student's defense" he was getting too used to saying those words lately "Mr. Malfoy was the one to issue the challenge. He could have chosen any of my other apprentices to challenge but he chose Mr. Longbottom. There were several Prefects present; one of them presided over the duel even.

"And it was Mr. Malfoy who used the Blasting Curse to open the exchange. Mr. Longbottom simply responded with the appropriate force necessary to disable his opponent."

"By breaking Mr. Malfoy's jaw!" Professor Snape was livid. Yes, Draco was one of Snape's snakes, but Ranma doubted that he'd have reacted this badly had their roles been reversed.

"Well, a broken jaw does hamper someone's ability to throw curses at you."

"Gentlemen!" The Headmaster's firm voice silenced them, forcing them to turn their attention to him. "While it is regrettable, Professor Saotome is correct. His apprentices did not initiate the challenge. One of your own students suggested that Draco issue a formal challenge, which he did."

"Mr. Nott is also one of his apprentices," the greasy haired man hissed.

Turning to the other heads of house, Dumbledore considered the situation. "Remind the students that duels are not sanctioned at Hogwarts and any who engage in such behavior will be punished accordingly.

"The dueling club will be allowed to continue under the combined supervision of the heads of house but each of you must ensure that nothing of this sort is repeated."


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Notes –

I get that the dream sequences are rough, but sometimes dreams are that way.

* * *

The increased scrutiny that resulted from his apprentice breaking the jaw and several ribs of one Draco Malfoy did not sit well with Ranma. It did not help that the High Inquisitor had finally returned with the complete backing of the Ministry of Magic and the Hogwarts Board of Governors. Over the course of the past week there was not a single class that either the High or Junior Inquisitor was not in attendance. Still, they could only observe and not interfere with his classes.

"Was it appropriate for you to show them how to deal with a werewolf?" Delores asked, not even bothering to look up from her scroll.

"Have you ever had to deal with a werewolf after they were turned?" he deflected her question back at her.

"Why did you not focus on teaching them to identify the typical characteristics displayed by a werewolf?"

"Aside from agitation and a desire for raw flesh there are no true characteristics except when they transform."

"Are you saying that there are no telling characteristics?

"Such as a lack of civility and manners?"

She grinned, "Yes."

"Are you saying that you're a werewolf?"

She huffed indignantly, at the insinuation.

"So sorry," he said in a fake Asian accent. "I forgot that your civilization isn't even a thousand years old. What passes for 'civility' and good 'manners' is so different that it is like comparing a child with good manners to an adult with superb manners."

His not so subtle barbs were enough to irritate her but not drive her off. "There are many demi-human cultures that are older than yours. Werewolves aren't bad; there are just a few bad ones that give the rest a bad name. Sort of reminds me of you."

That drove her off, though he knew that she would be back for his next class.

The little free time he had though was dedicated to dealing with his impending nuptials as the weekend loomed on the horizon. It was a sign that things in Nerima were not static. There had been so much chaos in his short tenure there that he'd begun to think that he was responsible for it but after talking with Kasumi it had become clear that while he attracted more trouble, Nerima had always been a hotbed of chaotic events. How else to explain Kuno's declaration that only a someone who had bested Akane could date her or the daily attacks that she had endured before Ranma had arrived?

Chronologically, the first thing that occurred was the return trip of Genma, Soun, and Happosai. The fact that Soun had returned from said trip with a new bride had thrown the Tendo household into even worse disarray than anything that Ranma had brought about. His beautiful, pregnant bride had been a barkeep in some small village in Russia that the trio had stopped in on their way back to Japan. Genma and Soun proclaimed that she had used a love and fertility potion on the later, but Happosai had painted a different picture. The witch was younger than Kasumi, another fact that upset the girls.

Obviously Akane had taken the news the worst, resulting in her finally coming clean and coming out of the closet. To hear Kasumi explain it, Ranma's sex-changing curse had only added to her confusion while the antics of the hentai horde had only re-enforced her distain for males. Each of the daughters had broken down and ultimately opted to leave the house and dojo. Nabiki had taken a mysterious job abroad, and Kasumi had agreed to marry Ranma to uphold the family name and to get away from Nerima. Akane had also left to study abroad, opting to go to Southeast Asia to study other martial arts and discover who she really was.

The reason why the old crone had agreed to finally stop scheming to have Ranma marry Xiao-Hua was that she and Happosai had managed to broker a deal. It was important for both to ensure that their respective legacies and Ranma was the key to that. Happosai insisted on honoring the Saotome-Tendo marriage pact while Qiang-Long simply insisted that he father children with Shampoo. Ultimately the two had agreed that Ranma would marry Kasumi and that Xian-Hua would be his mistress. Any male children from either union would be taught the Musabetsu Kakuto Ryu while any females would be trained in the Amazon traditions. The compromise was less than ideal, but when had any compromises ever make every party happy?

There were benefits to his marriage and affairs. With the Amazons supporting him, it had not taken much to convince the Musk and the Phoenix to support him, and each of the three ministries backed Happosai's claim that Ranma was a master of the art. As a recognized master he was able to take on apprentices even though he was teaching at Hogwarts. Despite the High and Junior Inquisitors' insistence they were not allowed to oversee his training sessions with his apprentices though he was not allowed to use his classes to recruit more apprentices. He was the red herring to distract those loyal to Minister Fudge while Qiang-Long used her decades of experience on the sly. While the High Inquisitor objected to his actions and took matters to Minister Fudge and his supporters, Qiang-Long was able to identify those who were clear supporters of the current Minister of Magic as she moved to gain the confidence of those who did not throw their lot in with him.

Of course the Ministry of Magic chose to see his appointment as Defense of the Dark Arts professor and the fact that he was allowed to train his students at Hogwarts as a sign that Dumbledore was trying to curry favor with several ministries in the Far East and by extension the Daily Prophet was pushing that angle. Still, it meant that there was only so much that the High Inquisitor could do about him as four ministries were backing him and any move against him could be construed as a slight against any of the other four foreign ministries.

Then again, the current administration had their hands full as external forces were probing and prodding it. There had been talk of how the administration had handled the incident following the championship match of the World Cup the previous summer, the unfortunate fatality during the supposedly safe Tri-Wizard Tournament and the fact that a fourth champion had been selected by the Goblet of Fire. Not to mention that word of Minister Fudge's abuse of power and authority was being spread through the Quibbler had gained traction once word of the fact that Harry Potter had to go before a full hearing before the Wizengrot for a simple issue of underage magic, that two dementors had attacked him to prompt his use of the Patronus Charm, and that the Ministry of Magic had not launched an investigation into the presence of the dementors had drawn outrage and thus additional scrutiny by many witches and wizards both within England and abroad.

Ranma knew that it was the elder who was behind that as she had the political savvy to navigate those currents and knew how to recognize the opportune time to let slip a tidbit of information that she had gleaned from someone. As a foreign dignitary she was able to plant a seed of doubt while also scouting for potential allies within the ministry who did not stand with either Fudge or Dumbledore.

"Professor."

He turned to the doorway, surprised that someone had stayed behind. The previous class had been the third year Gryffindor/Slytherin class, leaving him with half an hour before lunch and two hours before his next class, the sixth year Hufflepuff/Ravenclaws. It took him a second to recognize the young boy standing at the doorway who had clearly waited for the High Inquisitor to leave before he and his friends had come back to the classroom. That the boy was not from the previous class was a bit of a surprised. "Mr. Thomas, Mr. Finnigan; what can I do for you two?"

"Sir," the taller, darker skinned boy stepped into the classroom, "do you really believe that You-Know-Who has returned?"

It took a second for him to realize who they were talking about. "Voldemort?" Both boys flinched. "Why?"

The two friends exchanged a glance before Seamus shrugged, "I know that Harry says he's back, but"

"Does it matter?" he interjected. His deflection caught them off guard. "It doesn't matter to me if he is back or not. I'm here to teach you lot to defend yourselves from any possible threat to you and yours. If that threat is a dark wizard and his loyal followers, a cavern full of basilisks, or a mad mage wishing to turn you into a duck and serve you up as dinner, I will do my best to prepare you. What you choose to do is up to you.

"I can tell you that if he were back and he and his followers were threatening my loved ones, I would not stand by and just let him do what he wanted to."

He looked at the young men and sighed. They, like many others, were afraid. "I thought you guys were supposed to be the brave ones, but it's good that you aren't needlessly being brave. There's nothing wrong with being afraid, but do not let your fear overwhelm you. As Gryffindors, I would think that you would not let your fear deter you from doing the right thing."

"And what is the 'right thing', Professor?" Seamus asked.

"The right thing is finding out what is true and which are lies," he replied. "If you allow your fear to cloud your judgement then you've already proven that you don't belong in Gryffindor."

It felt strange for him to be the one lecturing someone else but after nearly a month he felt that he was getting a better hang of it. Still, he was only a few years older than they were. He could not imagine himself looking up to either Kuno that way simply because they were older than he.

X

"Always know where your center is," Sensei stated as he lead the group through another kata. "Never let yourself go too far from it. Know how your center shifts with relation to each move you take. Work within the limits of your boundaries and shift your center to cover the area that you need covered."

After word of Neville and Draco's duel had spread more students had shown an interest in apprenticing with their sensei, but none save for Harry Potter had made it past the initial training session. Ginny was glad.

From what her brother had told her Harry had slept fitfully the past week since he had started training with them. At first he had chalked it up to exhaustion, but then he noticed that Harry wasn't as exhausted as he had initially been after starting training.

Physically Harry had managed to catch up to the others despite starting after them. He was now lugging around seventy kilos along with Neville and Theodore while the girls were still struggling with forty.

"Feel the flow of your energy," Saotome Sensei said as he effortlessly launched himself from the wooden beam. Like a leaf in the wind he floated in the air before gently landing atop another, taller beam.

The formerly empty courtyard was filled with wooden beams or logs with one end buried into the ground. Their height was not uniform, and the distances between them varied, but that was the challenge for the six apprentices. The balls were also gone due to the dangers of one of them landing badly on the logs. Still, the logs were tricky enough as the size and number of buckets had increased yet again.

"No one path is correct," their sensei lectured as he landed before Ginny, forcing her to shift her weight and spring onto another log "but it can be wrong."

"You're just making that up!" Su shouted as she landed atop the walkway.

Their sensei smirked, "Hey, it sounded cooler in my head."

Ginny smirked as she landed then launched herself into the air. Though she did not know him well, she knew enough to know that he was annoyed by the return of the High Inquisitor and her constant presence in his Defense classes. It was only during the twice daily training sessions that he seemed to relax.

The five original apprentices were now at the point where they could talk while running and jumping if needed. With equal number of boys and girls, the restrictions for their runs had changed. In the mornings the girls were to run on their hands, could use the stairs, and did not have to bear weights while the boys could only use the wooden logs and had to still carry their weights. Things were reversed in the evenings.

"Know your limits," Sensei repeated as he sprang to catch Helen as she had apparently misjudged the height and distance she needed. They were all getting stronger, but they still made the mistake of overestimating their ability.

Gracefully he set her on the ground before leaping to intercept Ginny once again. They continued the routine until Sensei once again declared that the reservoir was full. Rather than just sparring and attempting to use the moves they'd learned from the katas, the newest element and challenge had been added. Three wooden practice dummies dubbed Mu, Ren, and Z provided the apprentices with something to practice against. Mu was the largest and most powerful of the three; Ren was the smallest and quickest; while Z was lanky and preferred grappling. Each provided a unique challenge to the apprentices regardless of the pairings that they faced.

The first day that the three had been added had been the day after Neville's duel with Malfoy. Saotome Sensei had ripped into the older Gyrffindor on his lack of technique and finesse as well as the holes in his defense. Still, he was mildly pleased with the outcome though he was upset that Neville hadn't been able to reign in the use of force and limit Draco's injures to mere bruises instead of a broken jaw and rib.

Neville had also admitted that his initial attack with the five kilo weight had been thrown off slightly by the blasting curse and that his second throw had been off (he had aimed to hit the Malfoy jewels) completely. Still, he'd managed to best the other boy without any spells and turned back years of teasing onto his antagonist.

Despite further displeasing Professor Snape, Neville had managed to earn quality marks on the potion that he'd brewed this past week. He was definitely benefiting from the clarity and calm that their master instilled in them.

The evening rinse came far too soon and did not last long enough for Ginny. Stealing a glance at Harry she knew that he felt the same. There was something about performing it out here that made it so much more effective than when she had tried to replicated it in the baths. Each of the others had come to the same conclusion, though Neville was still known to splash some water on his face before his potions classes.

"Sensei, why is this rinsing able to clarify our minds and bodies more than in the baths in Hogwarts?" she finally asked.

The buxom redhead before her could almost pass as a Weasley. Were it not for her violet eyes she would have passed for a Weasley. "It's because the water in Hogwarts is tainted by magic. Everything in Hogwarts is tainted by magic. This rinsing is designed to remove that taint and force your bodies to generate more chi."

"I thought chi was the body's natural energy?" Leave it to the Ravenclaw to question everything.

"It is. But when you use magic with a wand, you are using the magic of the wand's core to process the chi around you into mana for your spell. When your body is capable of doing it without a focus you become more powerful. Still, you'll eventually need to use a focus like a wand to tap your full potential."

"What's a focus?" Harry asked, clearly puzzled.

"A magical tool," Theodore replied. "As witches and wizards we're taught to use wands which are considered the most universal of focuses. Some cultures use staffs as well. The issue with wands and staffs is that they can be fickle. Some are better suited for some types of spells than others."

Their sensei nodded. "Ideally I would have taken you on before you began to use a focus, but since you already have a focus, the physical aspect of training will actually be quicker, it's the other part that will be tricky.

"But back to the original question – the rinse is just a rinse and is more about preparing you to endure a true Misogi. It's not something that I can explain – it's something that you'll have to experience for yourself."

With training for the day over, Ginny rushed to meet up with Michael in the great hall before dinner started. Since apprenticing under Sensei she had little time to spend with her boyfriend or her friends in general. After dinner she had Quidditch practice and as Michael was in a different house than she, she could not hang out with him in the common room after curfew.

Michael was approachable, had a good sense of humor, and witty. He had been the first boy to make her feel like she belonged somewhere. That had been something she'd failed to find in her first few years at Hogwarts. It had been Michael who had suggested that she try out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team though she did not doubt that he would cheer for Ravenclaw when their houses/teams played each other.

Making the team though had changed things more than she realized. While Alicia and Katie were not always with her, they looked out for her. The other quidditch fans in the house gave her their respect and were more likely to greet her when they saw her whereas they had previously ignored her. The other girls in her dorm might chose to avoid her, but they were not likely to pick on her as they had done in the past two years.

Apprenticing under Sensei though had changed a lot. The six apprentices were very dissimilar as none of them had a common thread to bind them yet they seemed to be able to put aside their differences as they trained. She knew that Harry was still skeptical of Nott and she knew why.

The clever Slytherin had manipulated Draco into challenging Neville, but why she wasn't sure. While Theodore lacked the sheer bulk and muscle of Crabbe and Goyle, he was taller than both of them. Unlike the other Slytherins of their year he did not follow Draco blindly, though it was said that Theodore was the only one in their year that Draco viewed as an equal. Odd then that he had convinced Draco into getting his jaw broken.

Seeing several students in the corridor before them, Ginny focused her thoughts on herself. After a few turns she found herself in one of the outer rooms on the third floor. It was one of the larger rooms not designated as a classroom though it was often used by the students to house a club meeting. That there were no portraits in the room provided the students with a bit of privacy and there was the added benefit that there were bathrooms for the boys and girls nearby made the room one of the more frequently used rooms. Tonight it was simply a study lounge for the score of students that were present. Most were fifth years, though there were a few fourth and six years as well.

"I heard that some of the Eastern tribes capture magical animals and turn them into women," the Fat Friar stated.

"That's barbaric." Leave it to Hermione to be indignant about the mistreatment and subjugation of magical creatures.

"That tribe even created a way to lock the 'curse' so that the animal stayed a woman so that they could breed with it," the Hufflepuff ghost added.

Since word of her Sensei's connections to several foreign ministries had been leaked, there was much talk about the other ministries and the cultures and their practices. Ginny, along with Hermione and Su, had assumed that the disclosure and speculation of certain practices was meant to discredit those foreign powers so as to prevent anyone from flocking to Dumbledore's banner.

"I heard that once a pack of centaurs purposely fell into a spring that turned them into humans so that they could pass themselves off as wizards."

"It was actually a den of foxes," Ginny corrected as she claimed a seat next to Michael. "Sensei said that he searched for the spring after stumbling upon the tale as he thought it might relieve him of his curse.

"According to his story there was a village greatly troubled by some clever foxes that kept sneaking past their traps and killing their animals. A passing mage created a magical spring and threw the foxes into the spring, turning them into men."

"So that solved the problem?" Ron asked.

"Unfortunately not," Ginny sighed. "They turned out to be like most men and redirected their pursuit of chickens and cattle to women and spirits."

The girls snickered and giggled at the boys' expense.

"Why didn't he just drown the foxes?" Seamus asked.

Ginny shrugged, "I guess he valued life, even the lives of the animals."

"What happened to the spring?" Dean asked.

"Sensei said that the spring dried up and the magic faded."

"You were a guy for a bit, right Parvati?" Seamus asked as he turned towards the Patil twins. "You were too, right Padma?"

The twins nodded, "Yeah."

"How did it feel to be a guy?" Hermione finished asking.

"Well" Padma started.

"We weren't guys too long," Parvati finished. "I remember that I was taller, and my clothes didn't fit as well."

Everyone seemed to wait for more.

"That's about it," Padma shrugged.

The boys appeared to be disheartened.

"It'd probably feel like being someone else," Ron speculated, "like drinking poly-juice potion."

"Didn't you say that because of his curse, someone can't just take the poly-juice potion and turn into the professor?" Ginny turned to Hermione. "Why is that?"

"Well, it's because his transformation is a curse," the bright Gryffindor stated. "Technically, Professor Saotome falls into the demi-human category."

"Demi-human?" Dean repeated.

"We call them half-breeds, though demi-human isn't as derogatory. Anyways, because those cursed with lycanthropy are not human full time they fall into the 'demi' or 'semi' group along with centaurs and harpies. The poly-juice potion only works on human transformation so it wouldn't work on someone who is a demi-human or half-breed like say Hagrid or Fleur who is a quarter veela. The same would be true of anyone born of a human and magically transformed animal. Even though Professor Saotome's other form is that of a human female, he is technically not a full-human."

"Have you tried?" Ginny teased. She knew full well that Hermione had once transformed into a cat-hybrid as a result of a botched poly-juice potion when she had unknowingly used cat hair instead of hair from her intended target.

The other girl blinked. "No I haven't!"

"Wouldn't you want to see what it's like to be a girl for an hour?" Seamus asked as he turned towards Neville.

The tall fifth year shook his head, "I've already had feathers and grown a tail thanks to Fred and George, I rather like being me."

"I think you'd look great as a girl," Luna remarked, drawing several surprised looks from the others.

"I think it'd be easier being a bloke," Parvati stated. "Not having to squat or sit every time you go to the loo."

"Not even needing to go to the loo," Su added. "I've seen some of the boys sneak off the trail to find a tree before or after Care of Magical Creatures, I'm not stupid."

"Trying to catch a look, have you?" that was Terry Boot sitting up at the insinuation.

"Not much to look at," teased Michael.

"You're one to talk," Boot said as he glanced down then back up quickly.

Hermione shook her head, "Boys!?" The other girls sighed at the stupidity of the males.

"I dare you to be a girl for an hour." Anthony Goldstein was usually the most reserved of the fifth year Ravenclaw boys, but every once in a while he could surprise you as he just did to Michael and Terry.

"You do know that it takes a month to brew the Poly-juice potion, right?" Padma tried to defuse the situation. "We only just began brewing it in Potions."

"Right, so three hours then," Anthony smirked.

"What do I get when I complete it?" Terry shot back.

"You'll get a galleon an hour, but only if you last three or more hours," Anthony declared.

"Who are we going to use?" Terry asked as he eyed the gathered girls.

"I am not giving you my hair," Ginny insisted.

"I'm not letting you turn into me," Hermione stated. The other girls quickly nodded in agreement.

"You can use mine," Luna volunteered.

The boys took a moment to ponder her offer. They looked over Luna's long blond hair, slim and petite figure (which was well behind most of the other forth year girls in development), though she had a natural grace to her.

"Okay," Terry finally replied.

Ron glanced at Harry, "I'm not turning into a girl. Oh…, oh! I'm not going to pay you a galleon an hour just to be a girl for a few hours." Her brother seemed to deflate at that. "I'll pay you twenty galleons if you stay a girl the entire Hogsmead trip. But you have to dress like a girl and have Hermione and Ginny do your hair and make-up."

All eyes turned to Ron as the color was drained from his face.

"And when you fail to beat this challenge," Harry added before Ron could say anything "you'll have to take Padma on a proper date."

She'd only seen her brother's face turn such a deep shade of red a few times, though the sight was rather hilarious.

"We had a date scheduled," Ron blurted out, "but now you want me to be a girl while I'm supposed to be on a date with Padma."

All eyes shifted to the Ravenclaw Prefect and then back to Ron.

"As much as you'd all enjoy parading him around Hogsmead as a pretty girl, I rather like him as a bloke." Padma's face lacked the scarlet of Ron's, but it was clear that she was blushing.

"When did this happen?" Ginny interjected on behalf of Hermione.

"Who do you think set up these 'group study' sessions?" Ron shrugged. "Padma and I thought that it would be good for us all to do some inter-house bonding, I pitched the idea to Hermione, and because there are several prefects involved our Heads of House all thought it would be a good idea."

"And it gave us ample opportunity to spend time together," Padma added as she moved to sit closer to Ron "and spend time with our friends."

Dean and Seamus looked at Ron as though they'd just placed him on a higher pedestal.

"Ron told us how you" Parvati gestured at Harry "aren't one to talk much and how you sometimes feel uncomfortable around others because you're so used to your horrible cousin and his friends bullying you. Fred and George said that you're pretty quiet when you're visiting them, we got to thinking that you just needed to be around us all more.

"He also said that since we've been in classes together since first year we should have a better idea of who you are. But I pointed out to him that we really don't know you because you haven't really said much to us in the past four years. It's one thing for you boys to hang out since you share a dorm, but we're" she indicated the three Gryffindor fifth years "not like that."

"It's the best way for you to counter the image that the Ministry and the Daily Prophet are painting of you," Padma stated. "I get that you didn't have a choice in how everyone ignored you back in our first year as Wood kept you busy with Quidditch and then we all turned on you for losing us all those points. And in our second year most of us were afraid of you once we found out that you were a Parseltongue and thought that you were the Heir of Slytherin."

"I was petrified!" chimed Justin.

"So was I!" Hermione protested.

"But in our third and fourth yearss" the shorter of the Patil twins continued despite the interruptions "you were pretty distant. Ron told us it was because you were spending time training to defend yourself from Sirius Black and the dementors, or preparing for the trials of the Tri-Wizard Tournament."

"So this is your chance to just be around others." Ron's uneven smile spoke volumes of how afraid he was that Harry might turn on him for trying to get his best mate out of his shell.

"Thanks Ron," Harry said as he slugged the redhead in the shoulder. "I guess it is nice to actually have some people to hang out with. Now if only we had some food and drinks."

"Did someone say they wanted some food and drinks?" The sudden appearance of a house-elf in their midst startled a few of the gathered students as most were taught to think that a good house-elf was one that went unseen, especially at Hogwarts.

"Dobby," Harry sat up suddenly.

"Mister Potter." Wearing clean, new clothes the house-elf was not typical for its kind, though Hogwarts did keep a higher standard for them. "Can I get you something to eat or drink?"

"Pumpkin juice and some of the chicken and potatoes from dinner," Harry said.

With a snap of his fingers portions appeared before Harry on the table. Soon the other students were putting in their requests, listing items that had been served either at dinner or lunch.

"So, about the bet," Neville said as he topped his cup with water. "I think I could replicate Se-Professor Saotome's transformation spell." Now everyone turned to the tall Gryffindor. "He gave me a tag to study, but I haven't tried using it yet."

"Me either," Su added. "Sensei's already begun teaching the two of us how to create a spell tag. It's not as easy as it sounds. First you have to get clean materials and quality paper that can handle magical energy without being influenced by it, and then we have to make our own ink or paint and use a brush."

"Wouldn't using a wand be easier?" Seamus asked.

Neville shrugged, "It might, on some things, but there are limits to what wands can do. That's why there are so many other types of magic that don't involve wands. Alchemy, potions, incantations, and summoning are just the start. Then you have to also know the right patterns, when to use a pentagram, pentangle, circle, triangle and which way the triangle or pentagram is the top – not to mention that you have to know runes."

"Why didn't Sensei give me the spell tags?" Harry asked.

"Or me?" Ginny chimed in.

Again Neville shrugged, "You'll have to ask him. Maybe it's because you're not at that point yet or because you more attached to your wand? I don't know."

"He does say that we all move at our own pace," Su added. "I just got some paper, Neville got an actual tag."

"Let's see it then," Dean urged his friend and dormmate.

"Yeah," Terry added as he leaned over the table.

Slapping the tag onto Ron's arm, it seemed to Ginny as though Neville's hand were glowing. No, glowing was not right, more like radiating power. Still, nothing happened as the tag seemed to vanish.

"That's it?" Michael said as he eyed Ron.

Neville grabbed a cup of water and splashed Ron with it, triggering the transformation.

"Wicked!" exclaimed Anthony as he took in Ron's female form.

"Do we call you Ronda now?" Parvati teased.

"Get me a mirror!" His voice was several octaves higher. Ron's command was quickly answered as Lavender produced a mirror. "Blimey! I look gorgeous." Turning his face from side to side so that he could get a better view his hand slowly moved downward to explore his new body.

"Stand up so we can see better!" Dean demanded.

Ron did so. Not only was he taller in his female form, but his shirt threatened to burst at the seams while his jeans slipped down to from his waist to his hips, revealing that Ron preferred boxers.

"Blimey!" one of the boys exclaimed.

"You're not as pretty as Padma, but you're stacked better than any of the girls in our year," Michael said before glancing at Ginny.

"You'd best hope those run in the family," snickered Terry.

Ron gave himself a squeeze. "Blimey!"

Several girls blushed. Ron, or Ronda, was ample to say the least, and that was evident despite the fact that he wore a loose shirt and plan jeans.

A quick flash of light illuminated the room though it was focused on Ron. "Good shot Collin!"

Hermione quickly pulled Ron's hand away from his breast as the elder Creevy took aim with the camera.

"How long does this last?" Ron finally asked once Collin ran out of film.

"It only lasted one transformation on us," Lavender said as she eyed Ron. "If you had longer locks you'd be prettier. As they are now there isn't much you can do with them."

"Impervious!" Seamus shouted as he hit Ron with a water-repelling charm.

"What'd you do that for?" Padma demanded.

"Seamus and I will give you two galleons if you can stay a girl the rest of the night," Dean said as he laid the golden coins on the table. "That'll be just long enough for the spell to wear off."

"I am not sitting around all evening like this," Ron declared. "I'm likely to spill out at any moment."

"There aren't many girls that" she searched for the right words "size at Hogwarts and I doubt you'd want to take this to one of the professors."

"Maybe Bode," Anthony suggested.

"I am not wearing her clothes!" Ron protested.

"Well, since none of us can get into the Slytherin dorms that's not a problem," snickered Justin.

With a sigh Neville pulled out a robe from Ron's pack. "Here."

As a Prefect, Ron and Hermione, along with Terry and Padma, were expected to do the occasional rounds, usually in their house robes while everyone else could wear their casual clothes when they weren't in class.

"What am I going to wear underneath?" the taller redhead asked as he handled his school robes.

"What are you wearing underneath right now?" Harry teased.

"Shove off Harry."

"I never knew you were so bashful," Dean chuckled as Collin took another picture.

Only Ginny seemed to notice as Li snuck up behind the pair before tagging them. Catching her fellow apprentice's eye, she nodded slyly. "Aguamenti!" The boys, save for Neville, were splashed with water, transforming them all into female versions of themselves.

"Aw!" pouted Hannah as she glanced at Neville.

Susan turned to Su who simply shrugged, "I didn't get him. It seems his training is paying off."

The other boys turned on Neville in a flash, not even caring to get a grasp of the differences in their physiology.

* * *

The warm of the hearth filled the nearly vacant room. Hermione loved the peace and quiet of the tiny room as it gave her the privacy she desired. While the group study session had been nice, it was definitely not to her liking. She'd only gone there because Ron had insisted so much.

Ron. Her heart seemed to skip a beat at the mere thought of him. It had come as a surprise to her and everyone else that he'd been seeing Padma Patil. She stared at the fire, ignoring the book.

"Hermione?"

Startled, she turned only to find Ron's face mere inches from hers. "Wh-what are you doing?"

"It's almost time for rounds," the youngest Weasley son stated.

"Why don't you go with Padma?" She had not meant to sound so testy, but she couldn't help it.

"Are you alright?" The warmth of his hand was evident despite her sweater acting as a sort of barrier. "You feel hot."

He cupped her face in his hand, sending shivers through her body. She wanted to say something but words escaped her. Instead she settled for pressing her lips against his. Suddenly their hands were everywhere. Ron was straddling her in the chair as she ground her hips up at him.

"Ugh!" Warmth flowed from her as a wave of satisfaction rushed through her body.

Hermione's eyes opened. Immediately she sat up only to feel that warmth trickle down to her buttocks. She regretted the decision to go free-buffing but at the time it had been the sensible decision as her panties did not fit the same while she was in a male body. Lavender and Parvati hadn't said anything, and the glamour that they'd cast on themselves was enough to fool Fay and Eloise, but the fact remained that they could not wear their usual attire while transformed.

The dorm's heater provided little light for her but she knew that the others in her dorm were still asleep. Reaching out for her wand she pointed it at the soiled sheets. She was thankful that she was now able to perform the spell wordlessly as she did not want to wake her dormmates. The spell was enough to clean the sheets, but she felt dirty.

She slipped out of bed, feeling her cotton slip rubbing all the wrong parts. It was still there and it was standing at attention, making it all the more difficult for her to walk properly much less avoid bumping into things in the darkness.

Her heart was racing and she could feel herself flush with embarrassment and anger at the… at the what? It wasn't a regular bodily reaction, was it? Did Ron and Harry have to endure this every night? No, it couldn't be. Lavender and Parvati hadn't woken up as she had so it couldn't be something that all boys experienced. But why was this happening to her?

Lost in thought she reached the stairs and slid. The transformation was so thorough that it even fooled the enchanted stairs that were supposed to keep the boys from sneaking into the girls' dormitory. Landing on her rear, she rubbed it.

Unlike Ron who had dramatic differences in his male and female bodies, she had undergone little noticeable changes. Sure, she had hair on her chest, and she guess that she had less body fat as-opposed to more muscle, but she her frame had remained the same.

Grumbling, she gathered her things. As a Prefect she was allowed use of the special Prefects' bathrooms throughout the castle, though most of the Gryffindor Prefects tended to use the ones closest to the Gryffindor dormitories. Unwilling to risk bumping into one of the other Prefects, she opted to use one of the others.

"Hermione?" The voice was unfamiliar to her.

She spun around, hitting the other head against the edge of the table. "Uhh!"

"Sorry!" the shadowy figure rushed to her side. Strong hands gripped her shoulders, guiding her away from table.

"Neville?"

"Yeah?"

"How can you see in the dark?" She could feel her shoulder pressed against the tall boy-turned girl's bosom as he led her through the common room.

She could feel him shrug. "Training I guess." Different body or not, he was still Neville. "Where are you going at this time of night?"

"The loo," she muttered. She was glad for the darkness as it hid her blush.

"Ah." Clearly he knew what she'd experienced. "Sensei says that he had problems adjusting to his cursed form for a while - different center of gravity, range of motion – hormones. It took him a while to pick up on them, especially the last one. That's why he researched the spring that he fell into. He swears that in his female form he craves sweets and that they taste so much better."

With easy he led her out of the common room and through the corridors.

"Why are you up so early?" she finally asked.

"Couldn't sleep," he replied. "I thought Ron's snoring was bad, but it's worse now. I had to go sleep in the common room but then I heard someone hit the floor."

"Why didn't you just use a silencing charm around your four-poster?"

"Sensei doesn't want us to use magic when it's not necessary."

They walked in relative silence, ignoring the sleeping portraits and snoozing suits of armor. Though her eyes were starting to adjust to the darkness she clung to him. "You've changed."

He chuckled, "We've all changed."

She shook her head. "Not that, I mean you've changed since becoming his apprentice."

"Yeah." He sounded pleased.

She wanted to say that there was nothing wrong with the way he was, but she couldn't help but think that it wasn't so much that he was changing, just that he was growing up and maturing.

"I can't believe I let them convince me to do this," she muttered as they turned another corner.

"It's all in good fun," Neville said. "Besides, doesn't this give you a new perspective on things?"

"That's putting it mildly." Had it not been dark he would have seen her scowl.

"So, how does it feel to be a bloke?"


	7. Chapter 7

Gentle winds plucked the autumn leaves from many trees sending a light cascade of the crisp, dry leaves down on the clearing. It was a picturesque fall day in the Forbidden Forest, yet Ranma couldn't help but think that one of his former rivals was about to appear behind a tree or even knocking one over in an attempt to break up the wedding ceremony. He knew that even with the numerous precautions that he and the elder had put in place. The recently befriended herd of centaurs would not stop any of his old rivals if they truly wanted to interfere. His experience told him that there were no fool or idiot proof plans.

"Friend Ranma," Ronan said as he stood at the supposed alter "you seem nervous."

"Yeah," he reluctantly admitted. "The last time I nearly got married the house was destroyed."

"Be at ease," the centaur elder stated. "If anything enters the forest we will know. Our marriage ceremony is quick so long as all parties are willing."

The all parties part was important. Centaurs were not monogamous. Their family units were essentially mini-packs within the herd with an alpha that led the pack. Once a foal matured they were able to leave their previous pack to form a new one with other foals or even join an established pack so long as the others in that pack were willing to accept them. Packs that lost an alpha could disperse or chose a new alpha though the alpha need not be a previous member of that pack. The pack forming ceremonies were held twice a year in the weeks around each equinox. Potential alphas would try to woo potential pack members in a variety of ways – feats of strength, a display of trophies, or some other way to draw attention to his or her accomplishments. All an alpha need do was present his or her pack to the counsel of centaur elders by sunset of the day after the first new moon after the equinox and their family would be registered.

As a master, Ranma's apprentices, who were all considered foals, would be viewed as part of his pack and thus under his protection. It was a way to strengthen his bond with his apprentices and establish himself as a legitimate master. They just had to endure the ceremony.

"Do we have to wear this?" Theodore asked as he stood in his loin cloth. It was the same loin cloth that he wore during their daily rinses but the fact that they were standing around the herd of centaurs seemed to weigh on his mind.

"It's getting chilly," Harry added.

"Elders," a young alpha centaur and his packmates approached Ronan and the other members of the council, "I present you with my pack."

They were ten centaurs, three males and seven females in all. The elders began chanting as the potential pack bowed their heads. When it was over Ronan stood tall before the young alpha. "Do you all swear to faithfully follow Banffagl?"

"We do," the others said in unison.

"Do you, Banffagl, accept your role as Alpha of your pack?"

The powerful young centaur bowed his head, "I do."

Ronan looked over the young centaurs, "It is done."

It was no surprise that the wizarding world looked down upon centaur weddings. Polygamy was frowned upon, some even thought it uncivilized and barbaric. The policies and politics of marriages still confused Ranma. He understood that his parents had a loveless marriage, and while his engagement to Akane had been rocky, he had thought that they were moving towards caring for each other. But did they love each other?

Perhaps that was why Akane had left to study martial arts abroad.

He still felt a slight discomfort when he thought about Akane. It might have been better if he'd brought her to England with him, but he hadn't considered it at the time. She had been intent on finishing school and their academic year wouldn't end until the spring. Yet she had seen fit to leave once her father had returned with a new bride.

As the sun began to vanish behind the thick canopy overhead he spotted Kasumi and Xiao-Hua approaching, behind them Su, Ginny, and Helen. All were wearing the nearly sheer silk kimonos that clung to their figures. Behind him he could sense the boys' reactions. He'd have to talk to them soon.

From what he'd gathered from Su, Neville, Harry, and Ginny, there had been at least a score of students who had undergone the temporary transformation into the opposite sex. Some had not taken the experience well, though at least none of them had complained about it to their heads of house or the headmaster. Next time he'd just have to turn them all into piglets.

With his pack assembled he turned to the council of centaur elders. "Elders, I present you with my pack."

The elders nodded before beginning their chants.

The ignorant masses thought that the centaurs did not use magic. In truth they were capable of great magic, though most of it was elemental in nature. Their magic required numbers to perform as well as the movement of the stars, moon, and sun. That was why the creation of a pack needed to be performed before the full moon after the equinox.

"Do you all swear to faithfully follow Ranma?"

"I do."

"I cannot!"

All eyes turned to Theodore Nott. From the look on his face he was surprised by his admission.

"Speak," Ronan commanded.

"I-I" he tried to resist the compulsion, "I was ordered by my father to spy on Sensei. The Dark Lord wanted a spy amongst Sensei's number."

The centaurs that were not part of the council of elders stiffened.

"Friend Ranma," Ronan leaned towards him.

Theodore's admission had been like having his first kiss stolen. The boy had been honest with him though, he could not fault him for that. "Choose your allegiance."

Theodore was on the verge of tears, "He's my father."

"You've already failed," Harry interrupted. "I was there when the Dark Lord returned. He was angry at the Death Eaters who hadn't gone to Azkaban. What do you think he'll do to your father if you leave now? Voldemort" the centaurs and the other apprentices trembled "is likely to torture your father, maybe even kill him now that you're not of use to him."

The Slytherin trembled. "You think I can lie to the Dark Lord?"

"Lying's the easy part," Ranma said. His blue eyes locked on Theodore's grey ones. "It's dealing with the consequences. Either way, it sounds like you're goose is cooked. Do you want it quick or do you want a chance to save your skin? If you accept me as your Alpha I will protect you. I've fought and slain the Phoenix King, I've fought and defeated the Dragon Prince, and bested an elder of the Amazons – what's another enemy to me?"

Reaching out he put his hand on the taller boy. Theodore's trembling subsided, his eyes shone with resolve. "I'm with you Sensei."

"Do you swear to faithfully follow Ranma?" Ronan asked again.

"I do."

The redhaired centaur almost smiled as he turned to Ranma. "Do you, Ranma Saotome, accept your role as Alpha of your pack?"

"I-I cannot." He was startled by the words that came out of his mouth but before anyone could say anything though he recovered. "I cannot accept Kasumi Tendo into my pack." Again he had no idea why he was saying what he was saying. Was it the compulsion of the centaurs' binding spell or was it how he honestly felt? He turned to the only Tendo that was willing to marry him.

"Kasumi, I do care about you, that's why I don't want us to get married this way." The young woman before him nodded, relief in her eyes as she fought back tears. "I want you to love me, not marry me because your old man wants you to. I made that mistake with Akane, I won't make it with you.

"Even if you aren't part of my pack I swear to you that I will protect you."

She smiled as she stepped back of her own volition, leaving only Xiao-Hua and his apprentices behind him. Family honor had compelled her to submit to the marriage, but his heart and conscience had at least delayed the need for an immediate marriage.

"Do you, Ranma Saotome, accept your role as Alpha of your pack?" Ronan repeated.

"I do." A magical warmth flowed through him and he could see that the rest of his pack felt a similar feeling. The centaur's magic was binding them to him and him t them. There was no going back now.

* * *

Training resumed in earnest despite the festivities of the previous night. With some of his obligations fulfilled and his heart and mind free of doubt, Ranma was pleased to find an enhanced feeling of pride and happiness as he watched his apprentices. With a need to incorporate Xiao-Hua into the training, the group no longer used the courtyard, favoring instead the shore of the lake. Hundreds of poles, piers, and rocky pillars pierced the surface of the water as Master, senior apprentice, and junior apprentices flew through the air chasing after the rocks that he threw for them to strike while avoiding Mu, Ren, and Z's attacks.

The three magical dummies required a bit of effort to control, but the simple functions of leap, land, kick or punch were well within Ranma's ability. The early wedding present from Happosai, the grandmaster and founder had procured them from some unfortunate dojos during his youth. Hundreds of years old, the three were similar to the empty suits of armor that patrolled Hogwarts. Made of magical wood and cared for over a century, they had absorbed enough magical essence to gain a semi-sentience, though their intelligence was more akin to that of elementals in that they could perform simple functions or tasks. Their ability to fight was limited to simple but powerful strikes, grappling, and blocking.

The osmium fingers on each were articulate enough to grab and strike, and could breech most magical defenses while also dealing considerable punishment. Made of a magical snakewood, their bodies and limbs were durable and flexible but not immune to magic. Instead Ranma had covered their bodies with the spare basilisk hide from the mother basilisk, making them highly resistant to even the most punishing of curses.

Little Helen Monroe had been the first apprentice to be sent into the lake, but she had also been the first to realize that the poles/logs/pillars could be used for more than just landing on as she has actually managed to leap from a log to avoid Mu's kick and grabbed hold of a pole to swing around at one of the rocks that he had thrown. Her size combined with her uncanny dexterity allowed her to navigate the forest of shafts and pillars that Theodore and Neville were not able to do.

Harry had been the first to realize that he was not limited to blocking, dodging and parrying attacks but could also counter-attack the dummies. It had taken him several dunks into the lake to figure that out, but it had paid off for him as he currently had the most stones. Su had been the first to use her peers as stepping stones, landing on Neville's head mid-air and vaulting from him with the most casual of grace. Ginny had been the first to use the stones in her hand to change the trajectory of other stones though it was proving to be a costly gambit as she had gone from second to first to third in massing the stones. Theodore had been the first to start contesting his peers for the stones that they carried and snatched, and Neville had been the one to hit the water the least as he was able to redirect the momentum of the dummies' attacks to keep himself in the air and ultimately send them crashing into the water in his place.

They had all improved so much since he'd taken them on as apprentices. The bonding ritual had truly united them as a pack under him though it had not gone the way he had expected. Still, it was a relief knowing that they were all loyal to him unlike how his former rivals would support him only to turn on him at the most opportune time.

He'd given himself a night to celebrate and Xiao-Hua had made the most of it. He was surprised at how energetic she was during the morning training considering how spent they had been that night. Then again, a few hours of sleep seemed to have done wonders for them both.

Now the lingering question – how to deal with Theodore Nott's situation. Try as he might Ranma could not find a simple solution. He did not want it to appear as though he were purposefully feeding information to Theodore to give to the elder Nott and subsequently to the Dark Lord. (Seriously, who went around proclaiming themselves the "Dark Lord"? That was, like, totally cliché.) For now Theodore would just have to (truthfully) report that they were just working on physical training. That approach would work for now, but not for long. Ranma knew that it wasn't enough to simply misdirect Voldemort and his Death Eaters; he had to protect Theodore and possibly his father.

The how was the thing that he couldn't get past. He doubted that Voldemort would be as dumb as his own rivals, but the man was supposedly vary arrogant, perhaps even more so than Ranma. It was that arrogance (and a bit of ignorance) that had led to his defeat all those years ago when he had tried to kill Harry.

This was not a problem that he could riddle through as he trained his apprentices/pack. While he was often able to think through problems in the midst of a fight, these tactics and strategies were not fight related. Having run out of rocks, he waited for Su to catch the last stone before calling an end to the morning training, "Good work everyone. Thanks Xiao-Hua, you can go now."

Though she was technically considered his wife, she was not allowed onto the school grounds and would have to return to the apartment she shared with Kasumi in Hogsmead. Both had taken up job offers in the magical village – Xiao-Hua as a waitress and Kasumi as the head cook at the Hog's Head. The formerly rundown establishment's business quickly went up as the quality of food served and the service had drown in many of the young men that usually frequented the other pubs and taverns.

"Race you back to the castle," he declared before diving into the water. He knew that they had expected to return to the northern courtyard and a trek through the forest, not the lengthy swim that he had in store for them. Attached to his quarters was a small outlet perched upon a cliff that overlooked the lake. The cliff itself overlooked the lake and was hidden behind illusions so that someone flying over the lake would not see the cliff. Only someone who knew that the cliff was there could find it, and even then it was a daunting task to reach it.

He did not mind the cold water as he swam towards the cliff. It was a good three kilometer swim and a good two hundred meter climb up the nearly sheer cliff. He'd prepared several lines for his apprentices to climb should they need it, but he was confident that they would be able to scale the cliff without any such aids.

The swim would be taxing under normal circumstances, but his apprentices were not normal even by magical standards. Even with their weights they managed to reach the cliff without any incident. The climb posed a challenge as they sought to find a suitable path in the dim light of the dawn. Physically his apprentices were easily capable of seeing the challenge through as their bodies were now able to subconsciously handle their chi and enhance their bodies to suit the tasks at hand. They would not be sprouting gills or flippers or claws, but they were changing the buoyancy of their body as well as the amount of air that their muscles needed while they swam or climbed. They would need another decade of increased training to match him physically, but they were on the right track.

"Almost done," he said as Su pulled herself onto the cliff. It did not take the others much longer to reach them. He was beaming at their progress. Ranma had promised himself that he would not follow in his father's footsteps as a mentor and teacher. While effective, the man's approach was dangerous. Somehow Ranma had survived training under his father, but just barely.

"I never knew that this corridor existed," Harry said as Ranma led them past his quarters and into the newest corridor and stairs.

The simple cavern now housed two long benches and several screens to accommodate his apprentices as they changed, "Boys to the left, girls to the right." Once they had vanished behind their respective screens he slipped out of his wet clothes as well, shifting into the silky white kimono that he wore at the end of their daily practices. "Don't forget to put on the headbands as well. Stand beneath the waterfall as long as you can."

Leading by example, he stepped into the pool and moved to assume a central position beneath the cascading water. His apprentices quickly followed suit. The cold water of the lake was nothing compared to the ground cooled waterfall.

Once they last of them (Harry) had exited the waterfall the young master did so as well. "How do you feel?" he asked as he reached for a towel.

"Refreshed," Harry said as did the same.

"Tranquil," Ginny added from behind the screen.

"This is the Misogi," he explained. "This is part of the Shinto teachings which remind us that nature is creative and life-giving. The Misogi ritual helps you reach harmony and bond with nature by purifying your mind, body and soul."

"And the headbands?" Su asked.

"The circle is meant as a sort of focal point," he elaborated. "I don't need to use one as I've gotten used to performing the Misogi without it. It'll be up to you to decide if you need it or not."

Dismissing his apprentices, Ranma returned to his chambers and changed before venturing back into Hogsmead. Having spent the night consummating his quasi-marriage to Xiao-Hua he had no time to speak with Kasumi after refusing to accept her into his newly formed pack.

"Ranma!" his beta tackled him affectionately as he approached the Hog's Head.

"Hey Xiao-Hua." He failed to match her enthusiasm and affection, but it was enough to please the cursed Amazon. Feeling her ample breasts pressing against him, he knew what she had in mind. Even though they had spent much of the previous evening and night exploring each other's bodies and mastering several positions, she was still eager for more.

"I know why you are here," she stated as she kept her arms around him. "As your beta I cannot allow you to see her."

"But"

"She is not part of the pack," Xiao-Hua stated. Her English was better than her Japanese, but there were still bits where her translation charm let a few words slip. "As alpha you are not allowed to court others until the next equinox – is centaur law. You make take any of the females in the pack as a lover, but you cannot discourse with outside females unless they are elders, pack alphas, or part of your patrol."

He'd forgotten that there were restrictions on him as an alpha. Clearly it was not a title that came easily as there were a multitude of responsibilities and duties.

"I can talk with Kasumi," Xiao-Hua stated.

Though he knew that Xiao-Hua respected the eldest Tendo daughter, Ranma still could not fully trust the Amazon to play that role. "No, you don't have to worry about that. I'll figure something out."

Xiao-Hua nodded. "Nice Tendo daughter is happier now than she was before. She no want to be married."

Ranma shook his head, "I think she didn't want to be forced to marry as she was. I think she wants to fall in love with the man that she's going to marry."

"I already in love with Ranma!" She emphasized the point by pressing her breasts into his chest.

But was what they had really love? He couldn't help but wonder even as he smiled back at her. He cared for her, and he knew that he could come to love her, but was that enough? His parents had a loveless marriage, but could he judge all arranged marriages by their standard? No, he couldn't, just as he couldn't judge all parents by the example that they had set.

"I need to stop at Gladrags," he stated.

"I go with," insisted Xiao-Hua as she turned from hugging him to clinging to his arm.

As they went several witches and wizards greeted her. She was of course glad to introduce him to them as her husband even though centaurs did not recognize spouses. Still, as the Alpha and Beta of their pack, the titles seemed to fit, though Patriarch and Matriarch seemed more appropriate.

It was odd eating with Xiao-Hua. Hell, it was odd being on an actual date with her, well, a date that wasn't the result of some trick or scheme.

"Xiao, what do you think about being here?" He was surprising himself and her at the same time. In the short time that he'd known her he'd never actually gotten to know her. But now that they were effectively married, he knew that he needed to make a greater effort to get to know her, especially if he was to come to love her as he wanted to love his wife.

"It okay," she replied after a moment of thought. "Most families are patriarchal and it shows in their laws. Family name carried only by sons; many ancient lines die out because of stupid rules.

"Government similar to Amazon in that Minister is appointed by ruling party and is usually the leader of that party. Honored Grandmother is leader because she is leader of ruling faction."

That made incredible sense really, though he'd never thought about it before. That was perhaps why Qiang-Long was doing so well navigating the political waters as she sought out those who might descent against the Minister of Magic. It was easier to seek allies within his political party and turn them against Fudge than it was to make the other political factions more appealing rather than waiting for the next election to make other political parties appear more viable.

"How do you like your job at the Hog's Head?" he asked, shifting topics as the conversation lulled. Xiao had a tendency to be short and to the point, presenting the minimal facts and glossing over everything else that she deemed unimportant.

"It okay," she shrugged. "Not as busy as café back in Nerima, but tips better. Men here weaker and like to leer more. Anyone in the pack could take them out easily."

Ranma nodded. All of his apprentices had grown stronger but physically speaking, they were reaching their first plateau. Under his intense training regiment they had gone from carrying just a bit more than their body weight to several hundred kilos easily, maxing out in the higher hundreds. Helen would benefit the most because of her youth while the three boys could only grow so much more once they hit their final growth spurts. Even another decade of training would not put them at the level that Ranma was at, but it was far above what a typical witch or wizard was able to do under normal circumstances. "I'm going to need your help training them."

* * *

"Watch out for the bludger!" Katie shouted needlessly.

In the weeks since she'd begun training under Sensei, Ginny had become aware of much more activity around her. Sure, she chose to overlook things like the way Harry pined for Cho whenever she was present, or how George and Fred tried to sneak their magical treats into someone's food, but she'd noticed that things seemed to move slower too. No, it was not that, it was that she was quicker to react.

Even now as she dove under Demelza Robins, the reserve chaser that was most likely to earn a spot next year, Ginny easily avoided the bludger that Andrew Kirk had sent her way. She flew with a fearless grace across the pitch, faking out Cormack McLaggen the reserve Keeper that sought to usurp Ron's hard earned spot on the team. Though the starters were playing against the reserves, the reserves had been provided extra players to make up for the gap in skill. It was something that Angelina had put into place as the new Gryffindor Captain. As it was Ginny had already scored five times and Harry had caught the snitch three times since the additional players had been added. If not for the arrogant McLaggen actually having some skill as a keeper, Ginny would have scored seven times.

"Nice shot!" Ron's cry could be heard from the other side of the pitch. He'd had an easy time really as Ginny, Angelina and Katie had managed to keep the four reserves from advancing past mid-pitch.

"You're sure that's only a Comet?" Katie asked as she moved to take a defensive position.

Ginny nodded, "Yeah – I just got Ron's old broom, which was Charlie's old broom."

"You're flying as though you were on a new Nimbus," Angelina stated. "Not as fast as Harry's firebolt, but nimbler and quick on the turns."

"It must be in the Weasley blood," Katie added.

"Must be," Ginny smiled.

"If we play like this on Saturday we're going to trounce Slytherin," Katie said confidently.

"They've still got a fleet of Nimbus 2001's," Angelina stated gloomily. "We might be better fliers but they've got speed on everyone but Harry."

Ginny had not been on the team under Oliver Wood but his reputation for taking the game so seriously was famous. It was also why he was now playing professionally. He never took any opponent lightly. Angelina was doing her best impersonation of the former captain as she turned her focus back to Robins as the third year advanced the ball behind the wedge that the other reserve chasers had formed.

Harry, followed by Romilda Vane, broke up the formation as he dove after the rapidly descending snitch yet again. He waited for the golden ball to adjust its path before he did the same, catching it with ease.

By the time practice had finally ended an hour or so later they had played ten matches against the reserves. Ron had let the reserves score twice but saved ten while McLaggen had allowed twenty and saved thirty.

"You're going to cream Slytherin," Roger Davis the Ravenclaw Captain said as he lead his team onto the pitch.

"Watching us, were you?" Angelina was clearly taking her role as Gryffindor Captain a bit too seriously as she strode over to her Ravenclaw contemporary.

"Just saw Harry chasing down the snitch as we were coming out of the lockers," the stout Davis said as he put his hands up before him.

"That was really amazing flying, Harry," Cho stated as she moved to speak with Harry.

"Thanks." Harry was clearly flustered by the other seeker. "I'm sure you're just as good."

Ginny knew that the two had some history. As she was dating Michael herself, she knew that she should not make any sort of reaction to the two seekers interacting.

"Don't be so modest Harry," George said as he swung his arm around Harry's shoulders. "You left Cho in the dust two years ago in the first match after you got your Firebolt."

"Yeah," chimed Fred. "If you hadn't been so nice you'd have ended that game earlier, though if you had done that we probably wouldn't have seen you hit Malfoy and his goons with your Patronous."

"Speaking of Malfoy," Roger said with a slight scowl "your match has been pushed back two weeks to allow his jaw to heal. I heard that Professor Snape wanted to have us play you instead but the Headmaster opted to switch the booking of our matches instead."

"Tell Longbottom thanks," sneered one of their chasers. "Now we've got two less weeks to prepare for the Hufflepuff."

"Well, we have to get on with our practice," Roger said as he led his team away from the Angelina's before the tensions between the two teams got out of hand.

Not even bothering to shower, Ginny merely changed into her training gear before setting off for the lake shore. Harry quickly joined her after he exited the boys' locker room and the pair rushed to make it for evening training. There were only a few select times when they were allowed to take their weights off outside of training - in the bath and during Quidditch practice. Whenever she took off her weights she felt so much stronger and lighter than she had ever thought possible. She knew that the others felt that way too.

As she and Harry turned the bend they saw the training grounds on the lake shore. As the others had not had Quidditch practice they had already arrived and were doing their now usual bit of pre-training stretching since Sensei did not believe in dedicating time during their limited training periods to stretching. As such Neville, Su, Helen, and Theodore were already leaping amongst the poles, pillars, and piers that stood out from the lake.

"Is Sensei standing on the lake?" Harry asked.

Taking a second look at her sensei, Ginny realized that Harry was right – he was standing on the lake. The surface was frozen over but in a near glass-like clarity making it almost indistinguishable from the water. As she came closer to the training grounds she could feel the chill.

"Now that everyone's here," Sensei's voice had gravity to it that she had not heard since the first days of training under him "I want you to take off your weight vests and belts."

The six of them rushed to the shore and promptly removed the weights discretely as the girls turned one way and the boys turned the other. Carrying around nearly three kilos of non-magical weights had been tiring, but also misleading as it had made her look like she'd put on considerable weight to go along with all the food that she'd consumed. Only the girls in her dorm (if they had cared to even acknowledge her) and on the ones on the Quidditch team and Michael knew that she was in fact wearing the bulky weights beneath her robes.

"Xiao-Hua, give them the ankle and wrist weights."

She judged the weights to be about twenty kilos each, a significant departure from what she'd been wearing before. For once the boys and girls were given the same amount of weight.

"After wearing the vests you won't feel these as much, but trust me, you'll notice them soon enough," the grin he gave them hinted at the cruel training they were about to endure. "I'm sure that you all know that you're physically far stronger than the average witch or wizard, quicker too, but now you're in for some real speed training. Assume your positions."

With casual ease the six apprentices leapt atop a pole. Free of their vests they were able to spring further and faster than they had before, though some of them had not judged the difference well enough as Neville overshot his desired pole and had to grab another before settling atop it.

"Take these out," Saotome directed them. "And try not to let them bite you."

They watched as their sensei tossed half a dozen icy cages full of dark little creatures at them. The frozen constructs shattered, freeing but angering the swarms of tiny little pixy-like bugs. Freed but furious, the doxies quickly targeted the closest apprentice.

'Doxy's prefer the dark and the cold.' Hermione's voice advised as Ginny recalled the bright summer day that she and the others had spent dealing with the doxy infestation of the Black ancestral home. 'Their bites are venomous – any witch or wizard that receives a bite should take the antidote immediately.'

Instinctively her hand shout out, severing the head off of the first of the doxies headed towards her.

"Why did you attack the head?"

"They're humanoid in appearance," she rationalized. She brought her hand around to take another doxy out only to have a rock hit her wrist. "Wouldn't taking out the head kill them?"

"Why not take out the wings?" Ginny blinked, dumbfounded. She tried to move away from the swarm. "A decent body shot from one of you would have knocked one out as well but you opted to kill them."

"They're only doxies," Theodore protested. He too was dealing with a barrage of rocks that prevented him from swatting away the doxies.

"And we're only human," Sensei shot back. "Do you know how many creatures see us as just food? Killing is always a last resort, even the killing of doxies. You kill only if your life is truly threatened, or for food – and never for fun or revenge."

There was an edge to his voice that hinted at anger, though they had never seen him angry. Xiao appeared conflicted but said nothing.

"No killing," Sensei stated firmly. A sudden chill swept through the shoreline, emphasizing his point. "You kill any more of them and I will leave you as helpless as a baby."

By the time all of the remaining doxies had been neutralized or flown off Ginny and the others were exhausted. While she had not been bitten, there had been many attempts by the little flying devils. The stunning body blows and an occasional bop to the head were enough to convince the doxies to set aside their frustrations and anger. After a few minutes most of the doxies had flown into the forest rather than continue attacking the apprentices. A few fluttered down to their stunned brethren and aided them in their flight to the forest.

"Your next exercise is to keep these in the air." They watched as their sensei produced several balls and threw them high into the air. "Use only your legs. Once you kick one you have to take to the air. Each time one hits the ground, ice, or water you all have to do a lap around Hogwarts – on your hands. If you break one, well, you'll see."

His warning was enough to make them hold back. She could feel the fluid inside the ball as she kicked it to Su.

"Sensei," it was Neville as he launched a ball high into the air, "did you not tell us that when you enter a duel you should be prepared to pay the ultimate price as well as knowing that you may have to take a life?"

"I did," the raven haired young man replied. "But just because you must be prepared to take a life does not mean that it is necessary to take one. If you were to enter a duel with a first year, would you not show them mercy and incapacitate them instead of killing them or breaking their jaw needlessly?"

Neville nearly missed his landing.

"With what you are now capable of, it would be easy for you to kill someone in self-defense, but just because you could do that does not mean that you should. The martial arts are about mastering yourself and your environment. Taking a life is a choice that you make and should not be a choice made lightly, even the life of a doxy. There will be times when it is necessary but most of the time it is avoidable."

"Sensei, did you not slay the basilisks and several hundred acromantulas?" Theodore presented a valid point.

"I did," their sensei answered. "Basilisks are unnatural creatures twisted to evil to serve dark purpose. Even the young cried for blood and death. Had I allowed them to live they would have attempted to kill everything that they came across just because they could.

"The acromantulas had nearly overrun the forest. The parts that they controlled were devoid of life. Even the trees were suffering because of them. Without any natural predators they had nearly overrun the forest. Only the centaurs were keeping their numbers at bay, and even then they were fighting a losing battle. By reducing their number as I did I kept them from destroying the forest, gave the centaurs better odds against them, and minimized the threat that the spiders presented to Hogwarts."

Harry was the first to discover their sensei's surprise as he kicked a ball with a little too much force. The dark green, viscous fluid was stink sap and while it did little to hinder Harry's movements it did make his clothes cling tightly to him as well as make him fairly repugnant. The others were careful to use the appropriate force after that.

"Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should," Sensei lectured. "Like Spider-man's uncle said, 'With great power comes great responsibility.' All of you should think about how you use what you learn – not just what I teach you, but what you learn here at Hogwarts as well."

By the end of training the apprentices were spent. Fortunately they only had to run back to the castle over a freshly created icy bar. Physically she was beat, but mentally her mind was racing. The rinses had been useful in helping her reign in her tangent thoughts, and the Misogi was proving to be even more effective despite the fact that she got to see Harry and Neville (and Theodore) standing around in nothing but a loin-cloth as water dripped from their now chiseled torsos.

She suddenly found herself in the lake submersed in the now chilly water. The how had been simple as her sensei shook his head. "Always be on your guard. Do not let your mind wander."

Swimming back to the icy path proved to be far easier as she no longer wore the weighted vest. The ankle and wrist weights were but a fraction of what she'd bore with the vest though the combined weight of the four were more than her own weight.

The icy platform itself was over a meter thick and sent chills through her body as Harry helped her onto it. "Thanks."

He averted his eyes as she set her feet. Suddenly he was in the drink as their sensei taught him the same lesson he'd given her. Neville and Theodore rushed towards the castle, neither one willing to volunteer themselves for that lesson.

Su's fake cough caught her attention. The smaller but older girl was pulling on her gi.

It had been so cold that Ginny hadn't realized that her gi had come open while she'd been in the water. She wasn't sure if she could turn as red as Ron, but she knew that she had cause to be embarrassed.

"Don't worry," Sensei said with a shrug. "I've done that plenty of times. It's a great way to distract your opponent."

Su appeared as though she wanted to say something but thought better of it.

"Most of my rivals are guys my age," Sensei added. "I wouldn't suggest trying it on the more experienced fighters though."

"If Draco ever demands a rematch with Neville, I'll suggest that strategy for him," Ginny replied with a forced chuckle.

"You don't want to do that," Su said. "His head might explode."

"Well, one of his heads would explode." Helen teased. "I heard that sempai looked adorable."

Sensei suddenly stopped and turned around to face the three girls.

Su immediately bowed her head, "Sensei, I"

"Just don't let it slip again," he held out his hand to stop her "especially within Hogwarts. I wouldn't want any undue attention being called on us."

Su and Ginny nodded, both hoping that word would not spread too far but knowing that it would eventually reach each of the students. There were few secrets in Hogwarts that remained secrets for long, merely things that came to other peoples' attention sooner or later and may or may not be taken into consideration.

"What I teach you as my apprentice should only be discussed with others in our school or pack," he added. "Freely giving others information about what you are capable of only means that they will be better prepared to face you when you inevitably face them."

"Are you thinking about the Death Eaters and You-Know-Who?" Su asked timidly.

"Them and others," he replied. Seeing the look on their faces he shrugged. "I've made plenty of enemies back home."

"But you've got the support of three different foreign Ministries," Su remarked.

"I didn't always have their support." That was a valid point. "At one time I had actually made the leaders of two of those ministries my enemy and they nearly killed me. Of course I won them over in the end, but still, if they knew what I was capable of they might have killed me instead of me beating the sense into them.

"Now that I've said that aloud I have to say that sounds weird." Maybe I just don't completely understand this language, but you don't knock sense into someone, you tend to knock them senseless."

"It's a play on words," the Ravenclaw explained.

"Anyways, going back to the point I made earlier," he glanced at the boys to ensure that they were within hearing distance. "Had I simply slain them I would not have them as my allies now. Even though they sought to kill me and those close to me, I prevailed without having to resort to killing. Well, there was one exception. Had the death toll been higher I am sure that they would not be as willing to aid me now.

"Killing begets more killing and only continues the cycle of death. If you can, you should refrain from killing when necessary."

"When will we know that it is necessary?" Theodore asked.

"When you have no other options left to save your life or the lives of those important to you – that is when killing may be necessary." For a moment he considered them. "And if you do kill something, I will make sure you eat it."

"But you didn't eat the basilisk," the sly Slytherin pointed out.

"The flesh is magical and not ideal for consumption," Sensei ceded. "I did make use of the hide, scales, fangs, and everything else that I could salvage. I was going to save it until after the Misogi, but you might as well find out about it now. I had each of you fitted for a special dogi and cloak. It took a while to cure and sew, but the basilisk hide will provide you with more protection than a simple gi or cloak. Because the hide is so tough it will protect you from minor spells as well as most blades, but it'll probably still hurt if you get hit with a weapon or boulder.

"I suggest you wear it under your usual clothes or school robes and make sure to keep it with you whenever you aren't training."

Their sensei's words seemed ominous but Ginny and the others had no idea how important his words would be.


	8. Chapter 8

With his first full month with all of his apprentices over Ranma had a better understanding of what he could expect of them. Physically they were at or close to their peak though a late growth spurt might change things and Helen still had a few more years before her final growth spurt. Now they just needed to work on their form and how to use magic to enhance their martial arts.

He had run them through the basics of karate, kenpo, Bajan stick licking, Jeet Kune Do, Wing Chung, T'ai chi ch'uan, Wushu, Sanshou, Shaolin-Do, Kuntao, Judo, Iaido, Jujutsu, Akido, Taekkyeon, Taekwondo, Muay Lao, Muay Thai, and Silat with the purpose of educating them on the different styles of offense and defense as well as the intricacies of blocking, footwork, parrying, and throwing.

Xiao-Hua (or Shampoo as they had begun calling her due to their inability to get the proper annunciation without the aid of a translation charm, then again, he couldn't get his L's to sound right thus his tendency to avoiding Ginny's family name or shortening Neville to Nev) had begun to teach them all the use of weapons during the mornings though her work schedule prevented her from aiding in the evening trainings regularly. While most of what she taught were forms based on kenpo, she did have extensive knowledge and experience in using them whereas he simply knew how to use them effectively so as best to understand how to deal with them when fighting unarmed.

What was of interest to him though was how quickly Neville seemed to pick up on the lessons while also lagging significantly behind the others in classes such as Transfiguration and Charms. Even learning casting simple charms took the boy an exorbitant amount of time. Theodore and Harry were on the opposite end of the spectrum as they took considerable time to learn Eastern magic while quickly learning Western spells.

The - what was the word? – Quandry? No, that didn't seem right. Dilemma? No. Definitely not impasse. Well, whatever it was, he was perplexed and it annoyed him.

He was not used to dealing with multiple problems at once. Multiple opponents he'd gotten used to, but not problems. He had yet to do anything about Theodore and Voldemort. There was also the issue of Kasumi and the engagement. This third issue though threatened to derail his promising future running a dojo.

Sitting at the head table with the other professors, Ranma for once was not inhaling his food as he pondered his student's predicament. He watched as Neville grasped his spoon, enchanting it to defend his food from the ever hungry Ron. The wooden spoon swatted at the offending Gryffindor's hands whenever he made to grab some of the fish or chips from Neville's plate as the other boy turned to speak with some of the Ravenclaws.

The position of the house tables shifted every week to give each house an opportunity to socialize with the other houses, though Slytherin and Gryffindor made little effort to do so. The rotations always kept the two rivals separated by at least a table. Today the Gryffindor table was the second from the left with Ravenclaw between them and Slytherin, and Hufflepuff on the end, giving Ranma a good view of his students and their peers as they enjoyed their dinner.

"You're teaching the seventh years how to brew love potions," he remarked as he turned to glance at Professor Snape. Seating assignments for the staff were fixed with the four heads of house claiming a section of the head table so that they could have a better view of the student tables below. Professor Snape tended to favor the end of the table and the other professors assigned to the neighboring seats tended to take their meals in their offices or came to the meal extremely early or just before desert was served. Professor Vector loved his sweets and only appeared for desert though if venison was on the menu he made an effort to appear. Professor Astoria ate like a bird, enjoying a cup of tea and sweet meats or a sandwich and rarely appearing for dinner. That left only Ranma and Professor Snape at the end.

"Yes," the greasy haired man had an odd drawl, though perhaps he had a nasal infection or suffered from a broken nose that had never healed properly. It was hard to tell as the man did favor the dungeons and magic was excellent at hiding traces of old injuries. Even his quick, one word answers seemed prolonged as though he were searching for something else to say but decided not to. It was also a sign that he was not overly interested in the topic.

"The school doesn't look down upon students slipping each other love potions, does it," he stated aloud. He wasn't sure what it'd been until he'd felt the sudden spike in the pretty young Ravenclaw's lust aura.

"The Headmaster has always allowed those harmless" his emphasis on the word suggested that Professor Snape was not of the same opinion "pranks between the students. The castle is enchanted to prevent the students from acting out on those urges with the object of their desire."

That actually made a lot of sense. As the youngest of the professors and a teen himself; he understood just how hard it was to keep those, um, feelings or desires in check, though he never had a problem with Shampoo.

Huh, now he was even thinking of her as Shampoo… Odd.

"The wards are similar to the anti-muggle charms," Professor Snape explained. "Whenever someone feels the need to try and act upon those, impulses with someone else they suddenly feel the need to do something else."

"So that won't be a problem?" he indicated the enamored girl as her friends tried to restrain her from acting out on the artificial feelings created by the potion.

"Many of the girls in the N.E.W.T. level prank their friends," the potions professor explained. "Fortunately the potions that they are learning now do not last longer than a few minutes even freshly brewed. It will be next when they prepare for the Hogsmead visit that we have to worry about. There are always a few couples who rent a room in Hogsmead."

Left unsaid was that the magical community as a whole tended to look the other way when love potions were involved except when used on magical children. Few thought anything of the potions being used on no-maj, or Muggles as the Brits referred to them. Being magically compelled could also absolve someone of crimes that they might have committed as there were a great number of magically enamored individuals who had attacked supposed rivals or committed outlandish acts to prove their love and devotion. Then there were those who forced themselves onto the object of their affection. Rape was a crime, though under the English Ministry the punishment was usually monetary leaving aggrieved individuals to resort to other methods.

It was why young witches were told to find good friends that they could trust and that they should never go out alone. The wards/charms in Hogwarts would protect them while they were in Hogwarts, but not once they were beyond the school grounds. It was also why some of the professors had to patrol Hogsmead during those weekend outings.

The young Ravenclaw quickly came out of her magical obsession, blushing in embarrassment even as her friends giggled at her expense. Another girl in their circle added a hair to her cup before sampling the potion. Ranma felt the spike in her lust aura as well as her friends made sure that she did not leave her seat to pursue the object of her desire.

"I was once under the effects of a powerful love potion," he admitted. "It wasn't just a typical love potion – this one made it so that the user fell in love with the first person of the opposite sex."

Snape grew silent as he listened intently. His normal pattern of speaking or responding when given an opportunity meant that he was not interested in the conversation. That he chose to forego speaking meant that his interest was piqued.

"There were three love pills with varying strengths. One lasted a minute, the second lasted a day, and the third lasted a lifetime. It was actually Shampoo who wanted to use it on me as I was against the idea of marrying her at the time."

"Really?" there was a slight inflection in his tone that suggested that he was amused.

"The pill was forced down my throat and I actually saw her great-grandmother first," Ranma chuckled. "Good thing it was only the one minute pill. The girl that took the one day pill had to be blindfolded the entire day."

"And the lifetime pill?"

"Was consumed by an octopus – it fell in love with the grandmaster."

"A potion that affects aren't limited to humans, that is remarkable." Snape was not one to be easily impressed. "And the effects weren't limited to a particular person aside from the one who took it – fascinating."

Though he rarely spoke to the potion's professor, Ranma found that the man had some good insights if he could be coaxed into a conversation. It was a nice diversion from having to mull over the three pressing issues that he had to deal with but he found that sometimes avoiding focusing on the problems sometimes gave him a renewed focus and different perspective once he returned his attention to them.

As dinner wrapped up he excused himself and followed after Neville as the towering youth headed towards the southern wall. In a flash Ranma was beside his apprentice, "Nev."

"Sensei," the awkward Gryffindor was unusually shy with everyone else and still appeared as though he was unused to speaking with others.

"Show me your wand."

Neville did as ordered. He was great at following orders and never failed to give less than his full effort when tasked even if he lacked the coordination that the other apprentices had. Neville would never be as graceful as Helen, as nimble as Ginny, as quick at finding shortcuts as Su, as powerful as Theodore, or as good at dodging as Harry, but he was always determined to push himself to extremes and test his boundaries and limits.

"What's it made of?" Neville's eyes looked up then left as he searched for the answer. It was unusual because even a first year knew the type of wood and the core that made up their wand. "It's not your wand, is it?"

The youth shook his head, slightly embarrassed by the fact that he was not able to answer the previous question. "It was my father's wand."

While he did not subscribe to wand magic, even Ranma knew that wands were supposed to be attuned to their user. There was a reason why there wasn't a market for secondhand wands. It also made sense why Neville was the quickest to pick up the use of talisman, spell tags, and incantations as he was not attuned to his father's wand and did not have a proper focus. The wand still allowed him to access more of his magical power but like and unsteady hand holding a ladle it spilled some of its contents before Neville received it, thus throwing off the spells he tried to cast with his wand. While he was able to cast with his wand the spells, even ones he had mastered in previous years, were unpredictable in their effectiveness and duration.

He had an idea. "Come with me."

* * *

The cool, comfy confines of the Slytherin common room had never been so relaxing as it had while Draco Malfoy recovered from his broken jaw. Those days of silence though had been over for nearly three weeks despite the act that the Malfoy heir was still perpetuating as he sought any advantage that he could get. In the dorms and common room Draco was his usual self – conniving, boisterous, arrogant and petty.

Those few Slytherin that had dared to laugh too loudly at Draco's injuries had been put in their place. Still, that had not stopped many of them from secretly gloating behind his back. Most outsiders viewed Slytherins as a whole, but they would be wrong. Those same individuals thought that Draco Malfoy was the Prince of Slytherin and while he had the favor of the Head of House, the rest of the house knew differently. Draco was a figurehead abusing the authority and standing of his father to reign in the other children of the Death Eaters. He himself threw his hat in with the lesser pure-bloods. They were mostly half-bloods, the children of lesser pure-blood houses, or members of branch houses of the old pure-blood families. With lower social standing than the old or "true" families they were split into two factions themselves as there were some who chose to curry favor with those in power, i.e. Millicent dating Goyle, and those who were neutral. Slytherins stood together, but within the house there was a pecking order.

Theodore cared little about his social standing even though Draco had freely admitted that of the boys in their year he was the only one whom Draco considered an equal. Draco's honeyed words were but a ploy to win over Theodore, as he viewed the Nott family in higher regard than he did the Goyle family even though all three were part of the Sacred 28.

Even before he had been made Prefect, Draco had been a power player in the house, rivaled only by Theodore's subtle maneuvers. In the end it had been the Malfoy money and charm that had won out once Draco had bought his spot on the Quidditch team. Draco still liked to keep tabs on Theodore though as he did not want to be taken unawares by any rival.

It was why Draco had fallen for the trap that Theodore had set. While he had expected Longbottom to thrash Malfoy, he had not expected the latter to suffer a broken jaw. That was why the silence in the common room concerned him. While Slytherin House presented a unified front to the rest of the school they only functioned because there was an established pecking order.

"Theodore." It was Urquhart, the current Captain of the Slytherin team. The seventh year had not started a game for them and his placement as captain puzzled the other houses, but there was a reason why he'd been chosen as the new captain. Unlike the Prefects who were supposed to oversee and guide the house, the team captain was expected to enforce the house's rules. It was his responsibility to keep the rest of the house in line.

"Urquhart," he replied with a nod. Short but stout, he blocked the passage that connected the Slytherin dormitory to the castle. Through each of the corridors to the dorm rooms members of the team, both reserve and starter, appeared, each wielding a beater's bat and wearing their practice pads. "How much am I in for?"

"Ten minutes," the older boy shrugged. Producing a timer he held it up so that everyone could see thick green liquid that sat at the bottom. "Malfoy's been knocked down a few rungs, but he's still part of this team."

He nodded reluctantly. If he fought back he'd get it worse in the end. A dozen bats would turn into a dozen wands throwing any number of minor curses and jinxes. The bats would hurt, but they were spelled so that they wouldn't break any bones or leave any physical traces of the attack. He was just glad that he wasn't a girl. While the boys hit harder, the girls were crueler which was why few girls ever stepped out of line.

The moment Urquhart set the timer on the table the green liquid began dribbling. The first bat hit him in the ribs. A second hit him on the shoulder. Theodore covered his face and groin, allowing the team to wail on him.

"Time!" Urquhart proclaimed once the green liquid was again at the bottom of the timer.

Theodore pretended to be hurt worse than he really was. As Sensei had said, it was not wise to let others know what they were capable of. Had he fought back he was sure that he would have been able to beat them off, but he could not afford to draw more attention to himself. Not all Slytherins were the children of grand children of Death Eaters and not all of them wanted to serve the Dark Lord.

"Well done." Draco had finally arrived. Of course his lackeys were by his side.

"You shouldn't be here," Urquhart stated.

"We were just passing by," Goyle stated.

Theodore shrugged, "It's alright, I was on my way to the lake, I don't mind a bit of company."

The quartet quickly left the dormitory while the rest of the team signaled the Prefects so that they could let the other Slytherins back into the common room. Little was said until they were actually outside of the castle as the paintings had a way of overhearing everything and Goyle and Crabbe lacked the basic fundamentals to have a conversation with even each other on anything other than girls and food.

"It took you long enough," Theodore stated finally. Honestly, he was glad that they had waited this long as it had given him ample time to develop his body so that such blows had not even bothered him.

"Pansy was pushing for a harsher punishment," Draco shrugged. "Millicent thought that you thought I could take Longbottom. Bode and Williams thought the same. They finally agreed that because I'm a Prefect you needed to be punished regardless of intent."

"Of course you could not speak for or against me as you were the aggrieved party."

Draco nodded. "The Dark Lord does not want the rest of them knowing that you are under orders to spy on Professor Saotome. I'm guessing that you did what you did because you want to prove to them that you're one of them and that you can be trusted."

Theodore nodded.

"If you really want in, then you're going to have to infiltrate their little club," Malfoy stated, "the one that meets every night after your practice."

Word of the little study group had begun to spread throughout the school. It had started with just a half-dozen people – Potter, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, the Patil twins, and Lavender Brown – but had grown in the subsequent weeks to nearly thirty students mainly in the fourth, fifth, and sixth years.

The study group was just a symptom as public opinion was no strongly against Potter and Dumbledore as evidenced by the growth of that study group. The more that word of what Harry was really like got out the less credible the ministry and the Daily Prophet were in portraying him as an attention seeking trouble-maker.

"Our best chance is to have Tracy go with her brother," Theodore suggested.

Draco paused, "That's an excellent idea. Her brother is on the Ravenclaw team. I doubt they'd object too much if he brought Tracy along eventually."

"Once she's in she can bring Greengrass – her sister's a Claw," Theo pointed out. "She's only a third year, and there aren't many third years in that group."

"Why not work the sibling angle more?" Draco's eyes lit up. "We'll have one of the seventh years brew some mild love potion – we'll slip it into some chocolates. We'll need Daphne to get a lock of her sister's hair and someone will need to get little Creevey's hair. They'll send each other chocolates, suggest to go to Hogsmead together. His brother idolized Potter and is in that club. It won't take long for them to go."

"It's a start," Theodore ceded. "We'll need Daphne to get on board with this."

"I'll deal with Daphne," Draco stated.

"You mean you'll have Pansy take care of Daphne." As plans went it wasn't a bad start. "I'll see if I can get invited too. It's best that we have a back-up plan in place in case Davies and Greengrass don't work out."

* * *

A chill autumn storm failed to keep the students and guests from packing the stadium seats for the Hufflepuff vs Ravenclaw match. While it was not as bad as the storm during the Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff match the winds were fierce and only served to amplify the cold. The seats facing north were the most packed as the winds blew from the south, giving those fortunate enough to claim those seats some shelter from the rain but even these fans were soaked by the occasional gust that blew the rain back at them.

The match had begun an hour after breakfast had ended and was still going strong despite the late hour. The gusts of wind had prevented the seekers from spotting the snitch while also making it harder for everyone on a broom to deal with the weather. Due to the length of the match substitutions had been allowed once both captains had agreed to it.

As a fan of the game, Ginny was enjoying every moment. She'd yet to see a match last so long and was kind of glad that Neville had broken Malfoy's jaw as it had delayed the Gryffindor vs Slytehrin match by two weeks. No one had expected the storm as the weather the entire week prior to the match had been fair. The sudden change had caught both the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws off guard as neither team had prepared to face the elements.

"Davies scores!" Lee was his usual exuberant self as he announced the match. "Ravenclaw now has 210 to Hufflepuff's 250."

The game also provided her with a great opportunity to scout both teams' full complement of chasers. Hufflepuff's reserves were sturdier and less prone to being bullied by the wind gusts while Ravenclaw maintained a fleet of swift fliers that were easily interchanged.

Early on the Ravenclaws had the advantage, though the wind affected their aim and threw off their shots and passes. They'd out-shot Hufflepuff 23-7 but only managed to score on half of them before Randolph Burrow had taken a bludger to the shoulder and crashed. He was still able to fly but with one arm glued to his broom he was nothing more than a body on the pitch. Hufflepuff had slowly fought their way back to tie the match at 160 but it wasn't until Zacharias Smith had taken a bludger to the head that Cadwallader and Davies had agreed to substitute two of their chasers each. Hufflepuff had long since claimed the lead at 220-180 but things appeared to be fairly evened out now.

Despite their rivalry both teams were above playing dirty. Tackling was allowed, but neither team ever performed group tackles despite the wind limiting the effectiveness of passes.

Thus far neither seeker had managed to spot the snitch, though Ginny had seen it several times in the afternoon.

"Looks like there will be plenty of points on the board this year," Hermione lamented. Leave it to her to think about the House Cup when everyone else was watching Quidditch. While points did not transfer directly from Quidditch Cup to House Cup, a fraction of them were. One in ten carried over, so a final score of 250-210 in favor of Hufflepuff would result in 25 points for Hufflepuff and 21 points for Ravenclaw.

"Cadwallader shoots – it's beyond McDougal's reach but is wide of the mark! Davies looks to recover the quaffle but is hit with a bludger, Pierce recovers for Hufflepuff, fakes a shot and passes to Cadwaller who shoots – ten points for Hufflepuff! They now lead 260 to 210."

The Hufflepuffs moved to reset their chasers as their beaters captured a bludger, sending it back and forth as they waited for the Ravenclaw chasers to advance with the quaffle.

The dull glint of gold caught Neville's eye as the tall Gryffindor fought the urge to point out the snitch as it fluttered behind the southern stands. Harry nodded, but turned his attention to Cho Chang.

"Chang sees the snitch!" Lee announced. "McGregor gives chase but she's got a decent lead on him."

While all eyes focused on the seekers Ginny's remained on the chasers. Davies quickly eluded the Hufflepuff chasers before being tackled by Cadwallader. The larger Hufflepuff quickly sped towards the other side of the pitch and easily scored while his beaters sent the bludgers after the seekers. With the snitch in play there was no reset after a score. The bludger was enough to force Chang to slow down, allowing McGregor to gain some of the lost ground. Neither gave up their pursuit of the elusive snitch as it flew nimbly around the southern stands.

MacMillan recovered the quaffle for Hufflepuff, passing to Cadwallader, who passed it back to Fawley who shot and scored.

"Hufflepuff is pouring it on!" Lee shouted over the crowd. "280 – 210 Hufflepuff!

"McGregor dives after the snitch, Chang is right with him! They're jocking for position – McGregor's getting the best of the smaller Chang. Oww! McGregor was too focused on Chang he didn't notice the bludger that Rowle sent at him! That's got to smart!

"Fawley scores again! Hufflepuff is just abusing the smaller Ravenclaw chasers! 290 – 210 Hufflepuff. Davies recovers but is tackled by Cadwallader! Again the Hufflepuff captain emerges with the quaffle. He takes it all the way – nice save by McDougal! She passes to Davies, he avoids the tackle but is hit by a bludger! Shane and Foster are really controlling the bludger well today for Hufflepuff.

"Chang and McGregor are back above the pitch – looks like they lost sight of the snitch when they collided.

"McDougal shoots – nice save by Smith. She passes to Cadwallader. He fakes a pass to Fawley but Davies isn't buying it. Cadwallader shrugs off Davies, passes to MacMillan"

She tuned out Lee and the crowd as she watched the chasers from both teams. They'd been playing for over seven hours straight and fatigue was beginning to show. Cadwallader's strategy was wearing down the faster Ravenclaw chasers who had to contend with the gusts of wind that tossed them around.

Rain gave way to drizzle and fiercer winds before the captains agreed to another substitution. Hunger had begun to set in on the students and their guests. Some of the less enthusiastic students opted to return to the castle for food during the substitution timeout. Ginny knew that with the way the seekers were playing for both teams it would be a while before the match was over.

By the time Hermione and Neville had returned with a basket of jerky, sweet meats, cheese and bread Hufflepuff's chasers had pushed the score up to 390 – 220.

She barely nibbled at her food as she continued to watch the chasers. Cadwallader had not swapped out any of his players though he did hold off on a possible substitution later while Ravenclaw switched out two of their chasers. Davies' strategy was paying off as the winds died down, allowing his quicker chasers to use press their advantage. Still, they were slowly being worn out by the larger Hufflepuffs and their tackles. Both keepers were playing better now that they did not have to contend with the wind and rain. Each made spectacular saves, shutting down the chasers for a good ten minutes before each surrendering a goal.

It was 430 – 250 when the clouds to the west and south finally gave way to the already setting sun. The last rays of daylight were enough for Chang as she spotted the snitch. McGregor, still nursing a broken nose and black eye took too long to react. He was three lengths behind Cho as she sped towards the Hufflepuff posts.

"Chang sees the snitch!" The crowd grew silent even as Cadwallader scored again. "She's got the snitch!"

"I guess even the snitch was tired," Hermione said grumpily as she began vanishing the wrappings from the food she'd brought them.

"What an exciting match! Hufflepuff wins 440 – 400 as Chang captures the snitch for Ravenclaw."

The match was the talk of dinner though Hufflepuff's table was empty as the entirety of their house was assumed to be in their dorm celebrating. Many of the students had opted for a bath or shower and change of clothes due to the wet weather and had only caught the tail end of dinner as a result. There was a mad rush for dinner and many stayed later than they usually did.

As per usual, Ginny headed towards the Ravenclaw table to meet up with Michael before heading to the study group.

"Oy! What are you doing?!"

The shout alerted the handful of students. Ginny and Ravenclaws dashed down the hallway. They were greeted with the sight of Crabbe and Goyle harassing the Creevey brothers. The Slytherin fifth-years towered over the younger boys, each of them easily larger than both of the Creeveys combined.

"Wha'cha doing to my brother?" Colin managed to get out as Crabbe held him aloft by his collar.

"We was just talking, right mudblood?" Goyle sneered.

Ginny stepped forward but found that she need not intervene as Theodore Nott was the first to act. Standing just as tall as Goyle, he was easily half the other boy's size, yet he had grown considerably stronger under Sensei. Grabbing hold of Crabbe's wrist and Goyle's arm he forced the two to release the Gryffindors.

"Let them go."

Crabbe and Goyle quickly complied, a look of slight fear in their eyes as they backed up.

"We were just teaching the mud-bloods some manners," Crabbe stated.

Goyle nodded. "Little runt bumped into me and made me drop my desert."

Theodore glanced at the box of chocolates that lay on the floor.

"He's lying," Dennis stated. "I"

"You were running in the halls." The falsely sweet voice of Delores Umbridge sent shivers down everyone's spines. "I saw you bump into Mr. Goyle."

Left unsaid was that she had allowed the bigger boys to bully the younger ones.

"Those chocolates aren't his, they're mine," Dennis stated.

"Who'd send you such nice chocolates?" Crabbe demanded.

"Leave him be," Nott insisted. "I'm sure you have plenty of chocolates back in the dorms."

Crabbe and Goyle withered under Nott's gaze, a rare sight for everyone present.

"Creevey, you should apologize for bumping into him," Theodore added, "it's good manners and all."

"I'm sorry," Dennis forced himself to say.

"It's alright," Goyle said, his eyes still on Nott. "Just don't let it happen again."

The pair beat a hasty retreat.

"Well done, Mr. Nott," Umbridge's smile grew as she tried to stand up taller and straighter before the towering Slytherin. "It's good to see that some of you have manners."

He shrugged before bending over to pick up the box of chocolates. "Here you go. Sorry about the gorillas."

Dennis eyed him cautiously, counting the chocolates to see that none of them had been swiped or tampered with. "Thanks."

"What are you up to now?" The previously timid Gryffindor stepped forward in an unusual display of courage. Neville was just as tall as Theodore, but had

Theodore shrugged, "Not much."

"We're headed up to the third floor, the empty club room, do you want to come?" While some might view Neville as the most timid of the fifth year Gryffindor boys, he was in fact the most courageous. It had been him who had stood up to his peers when he thought they were up to no good in his first year, and it was he who had been the first of the Gryffindor boys to ask a girl to the Yule Ball last year. Now here he was once again doing what no other Gryffindor was willing to do – reaching out to a Slytherin. Sure, they were pack-mates but there had been such a longstanding and heated rivalry between the two houses that seemed to go back to the founding of Hogwarts.

"Sure, why not?" Theo replied as he walked up to Neville.

"What's going on here?" her brother's nearly hoarse voice finally broke the silence.

"Neville just invited Theodore to the study group," Hermione beamed triumphantly. "That's a true Gryffindor."

"No he's not!" Ron ejaculated. "He's fraternizing with"

"Oh shove off!" In a rare display of, well, Ginny wasn't sure how to describe it really, but the fact that Hermione literally shoved Ron was testament to how little she agreed with his outlook. Ginny knew that part of Hermione's display was her frustration with Ron as her brother was fairly biased, but also because Hermione pined for the youngest Weasley son.

"The sorting hat did advise us to come together if we wanted to stop the Dark Lord and his lot," Padma added.

She wasn't really sure what to make of Ron and Padma as a couple. She was far prettier than Ron was handsome, though he did make up for it by being loyal, intelligent (reasonably), hard working, and being on the Quidditch team. He'd also show a considerable maturity in apologizing to her about being such an idiot as her date for the Yule Ball, something few of the boys, save perhaps Neville, was capable of showing currently.

Still, it upset her slightly because she knew that Hermione cared for Ron. Ginny could not help but watch as her best Gryffindor friend slowly unraveled over the past few weeks since Ron and Padma had made it known that they were dating. All she could do was give Hermione the same advice that the older Gryffindor girl had given her last year. And still the sophisticated and well mannered façade cracked – little outbursts like the shoving of the offending party might be brushed off by the likes of Harry and Ron, but Ginny and Padma were quick to make note of such an unusual display. Fortunately there was much more to focus on and discuss than Hermione's odd behavior.

"I can't wait until next weekend." Collin had clearly put aside his brother's run-in with the brutes of Slytherin as he sat between several fourth year boys.

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to Hogsmead." Kevin Burke was a promising young Ravenclaw who spent more time with his friends than with books which was odd for a Ravenclaw.

It was no surprise that the Hufflepuff contingent of their study group had not shown up as they were likely celebrating their victory as a house. The dejected Ravenclaws, particularly Cho and Roger, did not want to speak of the game in the least. The coming Hogsmead trip seemed to be the topic everyone was willing to settle on.

"I heard that the Hog's Head has a new serving girl," Fred smirked.

"Aye!" seconded George. "A busty young thing with lavender hair, I hear she doesn't speak much English."

Neville snapped to attention, "I wouldn't if I were you."

"Oh? Why's that? You already got eyes set on her?" teased George.

Though two years their junior, Neville was now nearly as tall as the twins. His baggy clothes hid his muscular frame and the weights that he still sported despite the fact that Sensei no longer required them to carry the weights. "She's sensei's wife," he replied. "I heard that she once hit a paramour so hard that she literally sent him flying a kilometer. She didn't kill him, but she did break his ribs. He broke his back when he landed."

Su nodded, "Sensei told me that she's merciless in a fight. Good thing she's on our side."

* * *

Dark clouds threatened to rain on the horde of students as they descended upon Hogsmead. For the first time in a long time she felt alone even though she was with a group of fifth and sixth years as her two best friends had found dates for the outing.

Ron and Padma were affectionate to the point of turning off the others in their group. Harry was distracted by Cho, and his lack of social skills showed as he stumbled to find something for them to talk about as they walked.

Heaving a sigh, she pondered how best to spend her day. She'd definitely have to avoid Madame Puddifoot's as it was a popular place for couples. The Three Broomsticks was more suited for crowds, but she wouldn't be part of a group as Ron and Harry would take their dates elsewhere. That left her with Neville.

The two had always been friendly. As the two fifth wheels of their dorms back in their first year they had no one else to turn to. While they had grown distant over the years, he had always been there for her when she needed someone – just like today. They worked their way up the main street, leaving Ron and Padma at the Owl post, while Harry and Cho stopped at Spintwitches to check out quidditch gear.

"You and Harry seem to have grown closer," she remarked as Harry and Cho vanished behind the double doors to Spintwitches.

"I guess." It was a typical response from yet another typical boy. "Sensei does want us to be able to get along better."

"Is that why you invited Nott to the study group?"

He shook his head, buying himself time as they walked past the local Olivander's branch and The Magic Neep. "I think it's because we similar, yet different. I don't know how to explain it really."

"Let's go into Tomes and Scrolls," she suggested, grabbing his arm and hauling him into the bookshop. She didn't notice his slight blush as she hugged his arm to her underdeveloped bosom. The store was only sparsely occupied as only the few Ravenclaws without dates ventured into the bookstore.

"So, how are you to so similar yet different?" she probed even as she plucked a tome off a shelf.

"It's not similar really, but how we complement each other," mused Neville. "Theo's had to deal with intense pressure from his father to live up to a certain standard. He's also had to deal with growing up without his mum so he knows how hard that is."

"Oh," Hermione exclaimed. It was something she couldn't truly fathom despite her knowledge. There were just some things that needed to be experienced to understand.

She managed to switch topics quickly as she picked up that he did not like to talk about his family, though he was fairly elusive about what he was learning with his new sensei as well. It came as no surprise that he favored the section of books that dealt with magical plants, but he also picked out a few tomes about eastern magic.

Slowly they made their way towards the Three Broomsticks. The pub was packed as it always was whenever the Hogwarts' students came into town. The dark clouds that had threatened to rain had finally delivered in spades, forcing the students in doors as the powerful but hopefully brief storm raged.

"Why don't we just grab a quick drink before heading down to the Hog's Head?" Her suggestion was a reasonable one even though they would be forced to stand while they waited and could not take their drinks out of the pub.

While the floor was packed the loo was only slightly less, though there was a line for both. "Guys have it so easy," she lamented.

"I'll put our orders in once I get out," Neville assured here. It did not take him long to vanish into the boy's water closet, leaving Hermione stranded amid several older girls from Slytherin and Ravenclaw.

It was times like these that she wished the bookstore had a public loo as she wouldn't have had to make a trek to Honeydukes, the Three Broomsticks or Zonko's then. Still, it was what it was.

Little had changed by the time she had emerged from the loo as the now steady rain poured, turning the unpaved street into a giant muddy puddle. The entrance to the Three Broomsticks was now full of young witches and wizards magically removing the mud from their robes or cloaks as they waited for service.

"Here you are love," Rosemarta said as she handed Hermione a mug.

"Thanks." She accepted the mug, taking a quick swig before turning her attention to the crowded floor in search of her fellow Gryffindor. The frothy brew made her warm as it touched her lips. In one quick gulp the mug was empty, the warmth spreading through her throat and chest to the rest of her body.

"There you are." Somehow Neville had managed to surprise her. Someone his height shouldn't have been able to do that, even in a room packed with students standing around. "They're packed to the gills. The rain's let up a bit, why not take our chances and head to the Hog's Head?"

"But it's cold outside." The protest was not typical, but the rain did put a damper on things. "And there's someone I want to see."

Neville gave her an odd, inspecting look. "How did you get a drink already?"

"Rosemarta gave it to me, of course." That was obvious - this was the Three Broomsticks after all. She turned to scan the crowd again. A tallish sixth year smiled at her. She felt like she should know him as he was a frequent visitor to the library, even if he was a Slytherin. He smiled at her and she smiled back at him. She could feel her face warming as she blushed.

"I think we should go outside," he urged her, taking her arm. "It looks like you're getting a bit flustered."

"But I want to go over there," she whispered. Why did she want to go over there? The Slytherin was a seventh year that she did not even know.

She wasn't sure how, but Neville managed to drag her out of the Three Broomsticks. The rain certainly helped, but it did little to cool her down. She felt cool, almost cold water on her face as Neville quickly pulled back the hood of her cloak and touched her forehead. His hand was so cool as he pressed it to her flesh.

"Are you alright?" Neville asked once they were past Zonko's.

"It's a bit hot," she muttered as she attempted to fan herself. Her clothes felt wrong for some reason.

As Neville stepped back and stood up she realized what had happened. "You changed me?"

There was a slight look of concern on his face as he nodded, leading her away from the pub. "I think someone slipped you a mild love potion."

"Wait, what?!"

"Keep your voice down." They were well away from the pub and the crowds had grown thin as the students continued to seek refuge from the autumn weather. "Most love potions are only effective when given to members of the opposite sex."

"That's why you changed me into a boy," she concluded.

"And cast a glamour on you so that no one would realize what I'd done," he added.

"The cold water from the rain triggered it, brilliant. But who did this to me?"

"I don't know, and Madam Rosemarta was probably too busy to keep tabs on who was passing whom drinks."

"There was this Slytherin, I think he was a seventh year," she pulled at her collar to get more cool air down her bare chest. It felt odd not having even her modest breasts there. She didn't even want to think of anything below the belt despite the tightness that she was currently experiencing.

"I think you were dosed with a lust potion or at least an afrodesiac," Neville explained. "That would explain why you feel so hot."

She blinked, resisting the urge to loosen her belt or to even think about handling that thing between her, um, legs. She distinctly remembered how difficult it had been dealing with it the morning after she'd allowed Parvati and Lavender to convince her to stay a boy overnight. This was several hundred times worse. Blood was rushing to the wrong part of her, making her feel slightly lucid. "Is there a cure or counter potion?"

"I'd have to know exactly what potion they used on you," he replied. "And we both know that I'm not the best hand at potions. Plus, it'd take too long to brew the proper antidote. Most people tend to have their friends keep them out of trouble when this kind of thing happens."

"That's just great," she muttered. "And here we are - the two loneliest people in all of Hogwarts. I'm sorry I'm ruining your day."

They managed to make it to the Hog's Head, but Hermione couldn't help but steal glances at the buxom young waitress. She wasn't particularly attracted to the girl, but whatever she'd been dosed with was urging her to, well, look at the attractive waitress. She tried reading, shaking her leg, pacing, and trying to think of non-sexual things but nothing seemed to work.

At least she had Neville to keep her company as the pair sat in at an upper level table to avoid the crowds below. He diligently paged through various potions texts to see if he could find something to help.

"Anything?" she asked for perhaps the tenth (or hundredth) time.

Neville sheepishly looked away.

"Don't tell me there's no cure?"

"I don't know how Muggle aphrodisiacs work, but magical ones are meant to…" he turned a shade of red that would impress even Ron.

"What?!" she reached out to grab hold of him. His training seemed to pay off as he caught her wrists instead.

"They're meant to induce copulation."

She knew what the words meant but it took a moment for her frazzled mind to catch up.

"There's probably a counter, but nothing that we could brew readily and most places don't have the antidote on hand," he explained to her. "I doubt even the wards at Hogwarts would be able to help now that the aphrodisiac has kicked in."

"So the only way I get rid of this…" she tried searching for a good, safe codeword so as not to let others on to her plight "itch is to…"

Neville nodded. "Since you're currently a guy you'd need to with a girl."

She buried her face in her palms.

"The longer you resist, the more likely you'll try to do something with someone," he added.

This was just getting better and better.

"That's why there are no punishments for those who can prove that they were under the influence of potions or curses," he added. "They're compelled to do something that they may or may not want to do under normal circumstances."

"So if I went out on the street and" she didn't want to finish the repulsive thought.

Neville simply nodded. "I think I might be able to help."

She could see him blushing despite the poor lighting. Her mind couldn't keep up with him as the effects of the mysterious aphrodisiac hindered her from stringing together her thoughts.

* * *

"No one is going say anything to anyone about the last hour, okay?" Hermione wanted to glare at Neville and Luna, but she couldn't get those images out of her mind. While she had been assured that she was not responsible for what she'd done while compelled, she did not like the fact that she had not been in control of her body.

"You're sure about that?" Luna asked, completely unperturbed by the events of the last hour. "I thought it was rather fascinating and insightful. Not to mention rather pleasurable after the first time."

Hermione was sure that her blush would impress a Weasley. Still, without Neville's help she would not have been freed of her compulsion wrought on by the aphrodisiac, though the love potion had not worn off.

"This never happened!" she whispered.

"But it did!" Luna countered. "We should do that again sometime, right Neville?"

"I think Hermione's right," Neville finally said. "We shouldn't talk to anyone about what happened. We don't know who was responsible for it, or if they were the only one involved. Every year around this time the seventh years learn to brew simple love potions and there's an influx of students who get dosed but usually nothing happens."

"Nothing happens?!" She was incensed. Rape was a big deal to her, but of course the wizarding world didn't see things the same way. They really were behind the times in many ways.

"It's best that you not go anywhere alone," Luna stated. "Never except drinks without checking them first."

She couldn't help but wonder what Luna had learned from her experiences that had made her see the world the way she did. Had something like this happened to her before? Why else would she have such a wide assortment of antidotes for love potions on hand.

"I can show you how to brew them for the next Hogsmead trip," Luna added. "That way you can be prepared should something happen again.

"There won't be a next time because I will be more attentive and careful. What we need to do is see if any other students got dosed."

"That's why the teachers are about," Neville pointed out. "I let Professor Saotome know, and I'm sure he'll let the other professors know when he sees them."

* * *

"In my defense," those words had been uttered far too often in the past month "we had most of the staff overseeing the students that were in Hogsmead. This sort of thing happens every year and is not limited to the seventh years."

Ranma stole a quick glance at Professor Snape as the Headmaster tried to explain things to the Minister of Magic. The man and his minions had made yet another trip to see the Headmaster though this time they had at least met in Hogsmead.

"It is not illegal to brew, sell, or purchase love potions, else an establishment like Zonko's would not be permitted to sell them," Dumbledore added.

"Be that as it may, it is inexcusable that someone took advantage of Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle," Snape stated.

"Took advantage of them?" Ranma replied. "They were the ones that forced themselves on those girls. Had I not intervened they'd have raped the girls. I get that they can't be held accountable for what they do while under the compulsion of a love potion, but rape is rape."

"That's enough," Dumbledore said firmly. "I am grateful that you intervened Professor Saotome. Had you not something regrettable would have happened. Unfortunately they appear to be victims of this incident as well. We need to find out who brewed or purchased the love potion and slipped it to them."

"Yes, a job well done Professor Saotome." Fudge was reluctant to give him any credit but even he could not forego giving the new Defense Professor the credit that was due to him. "I will have a few aurors look into this."


	9. Chapter 9

There was an odd tension in the air and Ranma Saotome knew what it was. He was so out of place in England but it was never more apparent then after the incident in Hogsmead. Perhaps it was because he spent a good amount of time in a woman's body that he could relate to the issue. He'd endured only a mild version of it when his first kiss had been stolen, still if there was one thing that he did fear more than cats it would have been the fact that someone might have tried to take advantage of him while he was in his female form. It was because of that that he understood to a degree the reason behind Akane's pent up anger with the hentai horde and Kuno in particular.

"You are still seething about the weekend," Snape stated. That he had remarked at all signaled that he was slightly interested in the topic.

"I am," Ranma replied. Breakfast at the staff table provided the pair with ample opportunity to discuss the issue as none of the other professors seated by them actually had that meal in the great hall as those professors tended to take the meal in their offices as they prepared for their classes. Monday breakfasts though were usually only attended by the professors that actually resided in the castle.

"Is it because you are a woman half the time?"

"Yeah, I guess," he grumbled. "One of my" he fumbled for the right words to describe her "friends used to be so angry at guys. Well she still is, but she had reason to. One of the guys at the school she attended had said that only someone who could best her deserved to date her. Every morning when she came to school she'd have to fight her way through a horde of guys intent on 'winning' the right to take her out."

Snape raised a brow at that.

"She beat them all of course, every morning until she graduated." That was as close to the truth as he could make it.

"That sounds terrible," Severus admitted.

"I get that many of the boys here can't put themselves in my shoes much less the shoes of their female classmates, but there are some who are brothers to sisters, and of course sons to a mother. What if it were their sister or mother that had fallen victim to what had happened to Crabbe or Goyle?"

"Who is to say that that hadn't happened? There is a reason why many families force their children into a marriage. Some hope that sharing the responsibility in raising a child will bring them together, but most simply ignore the plight of the mother or father and focus on the fact that a bloodline is to be carried on."

Despite the injustice he felt, Ranma knew that his peer's words had a ring of truth to them. Society, both magical and non-magical, seemed to overlook those transgressions for a variety of reason.

"Most magical marriages are themselves a magical ritual that protects groom and bride from being further compelled, at least magically," Severus explained. "That is why married individuals are not affected by most love potions. The typical love potion is in fact relatively ineffective when first brewed, but over time they become more effective. Freshly brewed, a single dose tends to last only a few minutes but the same potion given even a day to ferment will be ten times as effective. For Crabbe and Goyle to have been that infatuated the brew would have to have been months old. That means that whomever slipped their victim's hair into it would have had to put that final ingredient in before the start of the term.

"Unfortunately we will likely never know who dosed them. Fudge seems more intent on dragging Dumbledore's name through the mud and most incidents involving love potions are overlooked. Unless it was Dumbledore and were it not for your intervention nothing would have been made of it. At most the aggrieved families might have demanded a high reverse dowry and set a strict prenuptial that favored their daughter, but that is it. If the girls were from low standing families or were Muggle-born then nothing might have come of it."

The reality of the situation did not sit well with Ranma. Love potions might seem to be funny and harmless, but in truth they weren't. Muggle baiting was supposed to be against the law, but there were actually few instances where such behavior was punished as most magi were smart enough to avoid being caught. It was only when another mage was the secondary victim that the Ministry took note, and even then it depended on the victim's family and how much influence they had within the Ministry.

Inspiration hit him as he watched several students departing the great hall. He had only a bit of time before his first class but there were things that he'd need to do before the lesson.

* * *

Few Hogwarts students looked forward to History of Magic. It was one of the simple truths. The idea that a ghost taught the class might appeal to some of the younger muggle-born students but it had long since vanished for Ginny. The only good thing about Monday mornings was that History of Magic was a single period before Defense. That class had easily become her favorite and not only because her sensei taught the subject, but because she felt a burning desire to learn all she could so as not to fall victim to another incident such as she had back in her first year. This single period of History of Magic was a chance for her to brush up on her Defense homework and prepare for that class.

Claiming one of the front desks she found herself seated beside Colin. The lanky boy was usually the one she found herself paired with as he was the fifth wheel in his dorm but had slowly gained the favor of his peers but was still the odd man out when it came to finding a seat in their classes.

"What's this?" the dirty blond remarked as he tried stuffing his camera under his seat.

Ginny glanced at foil wrapped chocolate. "Maybe we're going to learn to do the Patronus Charm." It was supposed to be advanced magic, but Harry had mastered the spell in his third year and she was now in her fourth year.

"Cool." Colin was easily impressed by virtually everything magical. As a muggle-born he had not been exposed to magic until he'd received his acceptance letter.

The other students began to file in, claiming their seats and remarking at the chocolate at their desks. Some didn't even bother to consider why it was there in the first place and began to unwrap the chocolates before quickly consuming them.

"Isn't it more effective after exposure to a dementor?" Colin asked before he began to follow everyone else's example.

"I think she looks really great in pink." She wasn't sure who had said it, but several boys were nodding their heads.

"I'm sure he'd look lovely in nice robes."

"I really do like a mature woman."

"Maybe he'll notice me if I buy him a nice broom."

"I hear she likes kittens."

"I'm going to buy an irresistible kitten so that she'll want to come by and check it out."

"No way – I'm going to charm a broom to do all the cleaning for him!"

"She's not going to like you if you're allergic to cats!"

There were so many conversations going on at once that she couldn't keep up with what half of the class was saying. Instinctively she knocked the chocolate out of Colin's hand.

"You're not going to be able to ask her out if I beat you to it!"

"Why would she like a repulsive git like you? You've got nothing going for you!"

"I'm going to get detention just so I can spend time with him – then he'll see how much I love him!"

"You're not going to get detention if you're in the hospital wing!"

"Screw class! I need to see her right now!"

"He'll notice me if I get dirt everywhere!"

"You're not going anywhere!"

"Which one of you did this?!"

"Why can't I get out of my seat? Which one of you did this?"

"When I get out of my seat you're gonna"

"Not if I beat you to it!"

"Shut up you cow!"

"Let me introduce you to my fist!"

"When I'm done with you no one's going to want to do anything with you!"

"When I get out of this seat"

"Shut up!"

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"What the bloody hell is going on?"

"Uh… why do I feel so filthy?"

"Why do I feel like I want to throw up?"

"I, I can't believe I wanted to do that with her…."

"I can't believe I was willing to do that for her…"

"He's so repulsive… why did I even want to do that for him?"

"Wow, not even five minutes," Professor Saotome exclaimed from the front of the class. "I gotta say, love potions really aren't that fun."

"You dosed us with a love potion?" Colin asked, eyeing the chocolate that had been knocked out of his hand.

"Five points to Creevey, Ginny, and Price for not eating the chocolate." Professor Saotome continued to watch as the rest of the class regained their senses. "How did it feel to not be able to control yourselves? Davies?"

"I feel sick," the raven haired Slytherin stated. "How could I ever feel that way about him?"

"Who?" Collin asked aloud.

"Mr. Filch," Ginny answered. "You had the girls all fall in love with Mr. Filch."

"Five points for Gryffindor. Yes Mister Price?"

"You had the boys fall in love with the High Inquisitor, right?"

"Five points." Knowing him as she did, she knew why her sensei did not like to use her last name or say Slytherin as he tended to annunciate the L's as R's when he wasn't using a translation charm.

"You chose the most repulsive people because you wanted us to know how it felt to not be in control of our thoughts and actions," Price concluded.

The professor nodded.

Ginny couldn't help but wonder if their lesson today had anything to do with what had happened during the Hogsmead visit. It was not unusual for someone to try and slip a love potion into someone else's food or drink, but for it to get to the point where someone had actually tried to force themselves upon someone else though was not usual.

She'd often overheard her father speaking of how witches and wizards often dosed pretty/handsome muggles and ultimately how those incidents were brushed aside and the muggle victim had his or her memories altered. Yes, love potions were sold at joke shops like Zonko's, but the joke was often on the defenseless muggles or underaged witches/wizards.

For the remainder of their class the students took turns tasting the remaining chocolates, trying to see if they could actually fight the magical compulsion or identify the taste of the different low level love potions, and discussing how they could identify others who were under the influence of a love potion and what they could do to about it. They also discussed different love potions as the effects varied depending on the ingredients used. Infatuation and obsession were the most common effects, but others lowered the victim's inhibitions, others made the victims feel lustful rather than love, and then there were the effects of taking more than a single dose.

"I want a full page on how to protect yourself from a love potion for next class."

As the students began to pick up their things Ginny watched as Colin approached her sensei, "I think my brother's been dosed with a love potion."

"Why do you say that?" Ranma asked as he focused his attention on the students that were left in the classroom.

"He's been going on and on about Tracy Davies," Colin stated. "It started after the Hufflepuff vs Ravenclaw match"

"The chocolates that Goyle wanted to steal from Dennis," Ginny remarked.

Colin nodded, "She sent them to him. I didn't think anything of it at the time but since then he's been over the moon mad about her, though she seems to be pretty mad about him too. They went to Hogsmead together but then"

"Vincent and Gregory tried to attack Dennis," Ranma finished. "They wanted to get rid of the competition as it were, but then I intervened."

"I thought that they were just picking on him because, you know, Gryffindor and Slytherin, but if they ate the wrong chocolates they might have been under a love potion as well." Colin appeared to be overwhelmed by everything as he went from angry to defensive to protective to remorseful.

"There's nothing we can do about it other than keep an eye on them both." Both fourth years stared at him. "Well, you could try to find the antidote and brew it for them or keep them from eating those chocolates, or anything else that might have the love potion in it. As long as they're in Hogwarts they should have some protection from the love potion, but I'll have to speak with the Headmaster and Professor Snape about the protections that the school has and if love potions are covered."

Okay, that made a little more sense. Still, it did seem odd that he'd go from being anti-love potions to sort of brushing it under the rug.

"I hear Miss Lovegood brews a good love potion antidote," the professor added. "You might want to enlist her aid in this endeavor."

* * *

"The plan failed," Theodore stated.

"That's unfortunate," Draco shrugged, acting as though he were as interested in what was now old news as he was in the bit of history that Professor Bins was trying to impart on them. "It's a good thing you managed to get inside."

"We're going to need to cover our tracks," the taller boy stated. "They" he indicated Crabbe and Goyle "might be idiots but they opened a can of worms when they ate the sweets that they weren't supposed to."

"They're only here for muscle."

"Then keep them in line," there was an edge to his voice. He had expected them to fail, but he had not expected them to be busted by sensei. "We're going to need a passable patsy."

"You'll have to find one," Draco whispered. "Pansy's already got her hands full with the girls and she's running out of love potion. I doubt that the Headmaster or the High Inquisitor is going to let our mail go unchecked so we're running to be out of love potion soon."

"It'll be worse if someone brews an antidote."

Draco paled at the prospect. If the love potion's effects were simply allowed to wear off those dosed might feel slightly embarrassed at what they'd done, but if they were given the antidote they'd know that they had been under the influence of a love potion and they'd feel embarrassed about what they'd done. "How much did we give them?"

"You gave them each a box after the match so twelve doses."

"So the effects should be wearing off soon."

"Didn't you plan to give them another box each when they were in Hogsmead?"

"Crabbe and Goyle ate those. That's why they were so fixated on little Davies."

"It's good that I'm the one doing the real dirty work," Theodore finally muttered. "If it were left to you I daresay that your plan would have already failed."

The tolling of the clock tower bells told them that their class was over and that they would have but a few minutes to make it to their next class. History of Magic was the best opportunity for them to discuss the inner affairs of Slytherin. Few actually paid attention to the ghost, and as Slytherin was paired with Hufflepuff, there was little chance of students from either house interacting. As the children of ancient and noble pure blood houses, both Draco and Theodore knew of the past conflicts as their own houses were likely involved in some form.

Theodore knew that Draco feared that Nott was trying to subvert him. By putting himself out there as a spy for the Dark Lord he was risking much but also in position to be richly rewarded when things ultimately worked out in the Dark Lord's favor. Unfortunately Draco might also be a foil for Theodore while he played the dangerous role of double agent. That Draco was interested in Theodore's mission meant that the other boy was feeling threatened and looking to take advantage of things regardless of outcome.

Draco might be distracted with the upcoming Quidditch match against Gryffindor and the Halloween festivities, but those were only immediate rewards. Still, it was something that Theodore could use against him.

* * *

An air of excitement filled Hogwarts. Harry wasn't sure why, but Halloween was a really big deal in the Wizarding World. In truth few of the muggle-raised students understood the significance of the holiday, but they were all for enjoying a good party. The festivities though were lost on his sensei as the foreign born mage had instead opted to pull Harry out of his evening classes and left the other apprentices to train under Shampoo's watchful eyes.

"Sensei, where are we going?" he finally asked once the others were out of earshot.

"Godrick's Horrow," the raven haired man replied.

"Do you mean Godrick's Hollow?"

"You know what I mean."

Though his joke had lightened the mood, Harry could tell that there was a more somber tone to their trip. "Why are we going there?"

"There is a matter that needs to be handled," Ranma replied. "As your pack leader, I am recognized as your legal guardian, but I'm not the only one."

Harry stiffened.

"As your alpha there aren't many secrets you can keep from me, though honestly, it was Ginny that told me." Cool blue eyes locked with bright green ones. "The Headmaster would prefer that we not do this, but as your guardian there are things that must be done."

"Such as?"

"In the West you have a celebration for the dead, as do the Japanese. I may not be a man with many traditions, but I do believe in paying respects to the departed. As you are the only member of the pack whose parents are deceased, I felt that it was appropriate for us to visit their grave."

"How are we getting there?" Harry asked. His heart was racing. He'd never thought about visiting his parents' graves or about that fateful night when they'd died protecting him.

"We will be apparating," it was not his sensei who answered but Professor McGonagall.

Harry blinked, unsure what to make of this turn of events.

"I can't apparate," Ranma shrugged. "And the Headmaster thinks we may need to make a quick getaway to avoid drawing too much attention."

As Sensei was not using a translation charm, Harry was not sure if his sensei had used the right words or not.

Once the trio was clear of the school's protective wards Ranma and Harry intertwined an arm with Professor McGonagall as they stood on opposite sides of her. Something pulled at Harry's stomach, nearly making him retch. One moment he had been a few feet away from Hogwarts the next he found himself in the midst of a cemetery.

"There you are," a familiar voice greeted them.

"Sirius?" It took a moment for him to comprehend that he had reached to embrace the scruffy man that was his Godfather.

"Harry," it was a warm, heartfelt hug enveloped the youth.

"So you're the guy Dumbledore thought could replace Moody?" a second voice said addressed his sensei.

"And sought to replace me," Sirius added as he pulled away from Harry.

"The kid wanted to be my apprentice," Ranma shrugged. "You must be Serious Brack."

The other man chuckled.

"And Remus Rupin."

It was Sirius' turn to chuckle as his friend's expense.

"We should head further in," Professor McGonagall suggested.

She was right. Being seen with his Godfather would undo much of what they had accomplished with the study club that Ron and Padma had started. Though there were many people walking the streets there would likely be a few who would make their way into the cemetery once the sweets were no longer being passed about.

With Remus and Professor McGonagall leading the way the group quickly found his parents' headstone and graves. It was simple white marble but it felt as though Harry was being hit by a hefty bludger to the stomach. Through the tears he could make out the engraving of his parents' names, the date of their respective births and death along with a single phrase "The last enemy to be destroyed is death."

He was only slightly aware of the fact that his sensei had lit a curious lantern and hung close to the grave. The warm, dim light was not enough to illuminate the area or the faces of those present, but it did make it obvious to others in the graveyard that they were present.

"So, what do we do now?" Sirius asked.

"I believe that we are to make an offering to the spirits of the departed," Remus suggested.

Ranma shrugged, "First we wash the gravestone." Producing a bucket full of water and ladle he handed it to Harry. "Then we light some incense." They all took turns dousing the marble with water before taking a stick of incense to light and place before the gravestone. "Now we leave an offering."

Where he produced the basket of food and carved vegetables from Harry didn't know. What did nag at him though was the curious shape of the carved vegetables.

"They're supposed to represent horses for the departed to ride into the beyond," Ranma explained. Glancing around, he finally turned to Lupin. "Is there a river or lake nearby?"

Lupin nodded.

Taking the curiously shaped basket (and food) and the lantern, Ranma gestured for Remus to lead the way. Once at the water's edge, he handed the basket to Harry before placing the still lit lantern in it. "Place it on the water – it will guide them on."

They watched as the lantern and the hand-made basket/boat was carried past the bend before the five of them departed. He was too wrapped up in the little ceremony to listen to the adults as they hastily conversed in hushed tones. Before he knew it Sirius and Lupin were embracing him again before vanishing into the night. The trip back to Hogwarts was unsettling, but only because he did not like the way apparating made him feel. Still, it hadn't been as bad the second time around.

The feast had yet to start but the decorations were all in place as Harry returned to Hogwarts with his sensei and the head of his house. Upon seeing how the other apprentices were handling Shampoo's training he was almost glad that he'd missed it. The others were spent physically, he was spent emotionally.

He barely tasted the food, and as he had not endured the evening training he probably did not consume as much as he had recently become accustomed to. Even as the festivities continued in the common room, Harry retreated to his dorm. He barely registered that his roommates had followed after him.

"Long day?" it was Ron.

"Yeah." He was still trying to process everything.

"Wanna play some exploding snape?" That was Seamus.

"Here," Neville set five glasses on the nightstand beside Harry's bed before pulling out a bottle. Harry found himself sitting up.

"Where'd you get that?" Dean's voice held a bit of awe at the usually quiet and reserved member of their dorm.

"That can't be real," Ron exclaimed.

Pouring out equal measures into each glass, Neville grabbed a cup and quickly quaffed the contents. His face contorted as the liquid scorched his throat and he managed to not cough, though he did appear to be breathing fire as he exhaled. Shaking his head he poured himself another. "That's why it's called firewhisky."

The other boys eyed the glasses warily. They'd often spoken of how they'd brazenly acquire a bottle of the powerful liquor, but for one of them to have actually done so, well, that was unexpected at this juncture.

"Where'd you get that?" All five head turned to the entrance of their dorm room. It was not Hermione as they had initially feared, but Ginny could be just as intimidating.

"I bartered for it with Endeis," Neville stated as he brandished a pair of bottles. "This is centaur made (the one on his right hand) and this is the stuff that they serve at the Hog's Head."

"You lot best stick with the stuff they serve at the Head," Ginny advised as she conjured a glass for herself. "I'll have some of the centaur brew."

"You think we can't handle the good stuff?" Dean asked incredulously.

She eyed the tall Gryffindor, "Not if you want to make it to breakfast."

"Good point," Neville replied as he poured her a single measure. "We'll save the rest of the good stuff for when O.W.L.'s are over. We can work on developing our tolerance with the other bottle."

Taking up the glass, Harry waited for Neville as the pourer and provider to make a toast.

"This batch was made before we were born," Neville said as they all stood tall. "I'm not sure if that's supposed to be a good thing, but whatever. Still, I'd like to think that it was made during dark times in hopes of a bright future. Unfortunately we may be headed back towards dark times once again.

"I've been told that we're too young to remember when Halloween wasn't celebrated as it is now, but the reason why Witches and Wizards in England celebrate it as we do is because this night, fourteen years ago, Voldemort" Dean, Ron, and Seamus nearly dropped their glasses "snuck into the Potter's house but he didn't walk out triumphantly as he'd envisioned he would. Since then Halloween's been a night to celebrate Voldemort's defeat."

Neville turned to Harry, "This is for those who were lost during the last war."

The fire whisky was strong, but smooth. He did not taste is so much as feel it burn his throat. Something about the liquor as it hit his stomach made him want to belch. Instead a short burst of cool flame erupted from his mouth, from all their mouths.

"And that's why they call it 'fire whisky'," Ginny said as she grasped the handle of the second bottle. "I doubt this bottle will be as smooth as the centaur's." Like Neville, she poured them each a small measure before standing before them all.

"Halloween's a night for those who have passed. It's only fitting then that we remember those who were lost, even if it was before our time. Mum doesn't talk about them much, but she lost a pair of brothers during the last war. They were twins, just like our Fred and George – to Fabian and Gideon Prewett."

Ginny had been correct – the Hog's Head bottle was harsher than the other bottle but didn't have as strong an alcoholic kick. Still, the flames that erupted were larger and hotter than before. The others save for Neville and Ginny, had felt the kick of the second drink and were now seated on Ron's bed. Harry took the bottle from Ginny and repeated the process.

"What's going on here?" This time it was Hermione.

"What's it look like?" Ron replied as he stood up. "We're honoring the departed."

There was a look of indignant fury on the other Prefect's face as she drew her wand. Suddenly the door closed as she marched on them. The boys fumbled to keep their drink from spilling even as they tried to retreat from her advance. "You didn't invite me?!"

"Sorry," Neville mumbled as he conjured her a glass. Taking his original bottle, he poured some for Hermione before handing her the glass. "That one was for everyone who was lost in the first war with Voldemort."

Harry had expected the other boys to flinch but the liquid courage seemed to be kicking in as they held their ground this time.

Settling in between Harry and Neville, she steeled her resolve. Down the hatch went Hermione's drink and a burst of blue flames startled everyone as the usually bookish girl reacted to the liquor.

Ginny grabbed the bottle back from Harry and poured a second drink for Hermione, "That's for my mom's brothers – Fabian and Gideon Prewett."

Taking a breath to compose herself, Hermione took the second drink. This time green flames erupted.

"And this is the one I'm about to give," Harry added as he reclaimed the bottle from Hermione.

"Wait! Why aren't we drinking the one Neville's got?" Hermione interrupted.

"We're saving the rest of this for after O.W.L.'s." Neville said as he put the bottle on the dresser, "unless anyone else is going to join us."

"Fred and George must have slipped out to knick some more food and drinks," the bushy haired girl stated as she sat on Harry's bed.

Reclaiming his position before the others, Harry held his glass high prompting everyone to stand again. "This is for Cedric Diggory – the first casualty of this second war with Voldemort."

The already somber mood could not be undone by the fire whisky as the teens sat on Harry and Ron's beds.

Perhaps it was the liquor hitting her smaller frame, but Hermione took the bottle from Harry, reaching around him and handing it to Neville. "Shouldn't you toast your parents?"

Her words hit Neville with as much force as the blow he had landed to break Draco's jaw. It was as though her words had banished the alcohol that he recently imbibed. "They're not dead."

The usually clever girl was perplexed by his words. Harry could tell that the others were just as shocked at the revelation. "But you live with your grandmother."

It was more than just anger in Neville's usually timid eyes – it was hate, fury and a mix of other dark, powerful emotions that Harry could only guess at. "They're not dead." Hands trembling, he pushed the offered bottle back to Hermione. Instead he reached for the first bottle.

"I don't understand," Hermione whimpered. Her eyes were glued to Neville.

Dean and Seamus averted their eyes. Harry couldn't help but wonder if Neville had shared that information with them or if they had also figured it out. Even Ron, the least tactful of the group, did not say anything.

Pouring himself a large glass, Neville took a large gulp. Instead of exhaling flames though he forced air into his lungs before finally expelling a long blast of bright red flame. "My parents were attacked after Voldemort had been defeated. They were at home when Barty Couch Jr. came calling. They knew him from the Ministry and his father was a high ranking official with the Ministry at the time. Unfortunately they didn't know that he was a Death Eater. Most of those loyal to Voldemort had either sworn that they were compelled through the Imperious Curse or had already been captured, but there were still a few fanatics hiding in the shadows.

"Couch and the Lestranges attacked my parents because they thought my parents might know something about what happened to their master. They used the Cruciatus Curse on my parents."

Tears streamed down Neville's face though he refused to wipe them.

"When the Aurors arrived my parents were still alive, but they couldn't…." Neville took another gulp of the liquid courage. "Last year after our first Defense class, Pro- the man pretending to be Professor Moody – said that theirs was a fate worse than death. They were cursed into insanity."

Harry could feel his heart beating even as he fought back the tears. He'd known the truth for a few months and he thought he'd been emotionally drained from the trip to Godrick's Hollow, but the tears were proof that he was not drained, merely momentarily numbed.

None of the others in the room could say anything. Even the inebriated Hermione failed to find anything to say. Actions though spoke louder than words as Ginny took the bottle from Neville and poured some of the dark amber liquid into everyone but Neville's glass. Setting the bottle down she gave him a soothing hug before wiping the tears from his and her eyes. "This one's for the future – may we never feel the need to be so somber on Halloween again."

"May we be sober for Halloween next year," Hermione giggled.

Harry raised his glass, "To the future."


	10. Chapter 10

The light of the approaching dawn threatened to peek through the thick, dark clouds as Harry rolled out of bed. It felt as though his heart were beating in his head rather than his chest as he tried to find his glasses, only to realize that they were still on his face. His throat was dry and his mouth parched, but he knew better than to finish the contents of the glass on his nightstand. The mere smell of it invoked images of the previous night when somber tales were shared by the teens.

"Here." The youngest Weasley held out a cup of pumpkin juice.

Harry quickly quaffed the contents. The liquid helped, some but it was far from a heal-all. Still, Harry couldn't help but feel good.

"Did you see something you shouldn't have?" Ginny asked as she too took note of his grin.

He blinked. Ginny wasn't wearing the same outfit she'd worn the previous night. The shirt she was wearing was far too large for her. As the only girl in her family she was the only one who didn't get her older siblings' clothes and the shirt she was wearing wasn't hers.

"We'd better get going," Neville whispered as he closed the canopy to his four post bed before stepping over a still slumbering Ronald Weasley lay sprawled out on the floor with two sets of robes draped over him for blankets and a cushion liberated from the common room as a pillow.

Months of training had drilled into their bodies the need to wake up early for training. By the time they had completed the first kata Harry was sure that he'd sweated out the alcohol.

'Today is definitely a better day than yesterday,' he thought to himself as he watched his sensei correct Theodore's form on a middle kick.

It was not until the rinse that he noticed how he'd felt. It wasn't as though he were truly happy, but that he'd been feeling good for no reason at all. The thought perturbed him as he meditated beneath the cascading water.

"Something bothering you?" Sensei asked as the boys dried themselves off.

"I, I don't know…" he muttered his reply. "I just feel, well, kind of satisfied but I don't know why. Well, I felt that way until the rinse, but now, now I'm just confused."

"Someone hit you with a cheering charm?" Theodore asked.

Harry shook his head.

"The Fire Whisky was clean," Neville stated. "If it hadn't Ginny and I would have been the same way."

Theodore eyed the Gryffindors. "That's how you celebrate Halloween? I guess I should have been with you blokes last night."

With a shrug Sensei set the matter aside. What would have been a long, hard run for anyone else was but a mere stroll for the six apprentices as they rushed back to the castle for a proper shower before breakfast.

A parliament of owls descended upon the students and professors before the food even appeared. Harry could feel the atmosphere in the great hall change as the first of the letters were read.

"I can't believe it!"

"How did this happen?"

"Bloody Hell!"

"That's impossible!"

"Bloody Hell!"

"Do you have a copy of the Daily Prophet?"

"It's not in the Prophet, it can't be true."

"Quibbler?"

"It's in the Quibbler!"

"Bloody Hell!"

"Language Mister Johnson!"

"It can't be true!"

"How did this happen?"

"I can't believe this!"

"Do you suppose he's really back?"

"Sirius Black did break out…"

"But he's not capable of doing this!"

"How could he be in two places at once?"

"I heard that he was spotted in Godrick's Hollow."

"Maybe they're attacking other alleged Death Eaters."

"He can't be working alone."

"I heard he was spotted in London."

"If he can Apparate then he could be anywhere."

"What if he's trying to recruit the other alleged Death Eaters?"

"Who do you think they'll go after next?"

"I heard that it wasn't really him, but someone that drank Poly-Juice Potion."

"That's rubbish!"

"Where'd you hear that?"

"I heard that someone made a big deal about how he was a suspected Death Eater and a duel broke out."

"He's not the only suspected Death Eater walking free."

"Yeah, lots of them were accused but only a handful was actually convicted."

"It's a good thing we already had a Hogsmead visit, I don't know that I'd feel safe going there with that lot on the loose."

"What if Potter's been telling the truth the whole time?"

"What if Dumbledore's right?"

"I can't believe the Ministry would try to cover this up!"

"Why isn't this in the Prophet?"

"I canceled my subscription ages ago."

"The Prophet's been printing rubbish lately – I don't even bother reading it anymore."

Harry looked up from his bacon to see that both Hermione and Ron were looking at him. "What's going on?"

"They say that there's been a mass break out," Ron whispered. "Dad said that the entire Ministry is in an uproar but Fudge won't let anyone in the Ministry talk about it."

"Obviously those who work for the Ministry can't talk to the press about it, but they've informed their families," Hermione reasoned.

Ginny nodded as she set down the letter her parents had sent her. "There will be an official statement by the Minister of Magic this afternoon."

"How bad is it?" Harry asked.

"Some are blaming Sirius Black," Neville answered. "He's managed to elude the Ministry this long, but there are conflicting reports."

"Someone matching Sirius' description was seen in Wales when around the time that Theodore Nott Sr. was attacked," Hermione added as she leaned over the table towards him. He followed her gaze to the table beyond the Ravenclaws and Theodore Nott Jr. Professor Snape and Professor Saotome had both come down from the Staff table to escort the fifth year Slytherin. Word of the attack on his father had clearly reached the rest of Slytherin and the student body as a whole.

"There's no way he could have been in two places at once."

"If he's not working alone it wouldn't be a problem."

"He probably had someone under the Imperious Curse."

It was times like these that Harry wished they were beside the Slytherin table. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaws threw out a myriad of ideas and theories, but it was the Slytherins that were probably the most in the know about what had happened. A good handful of them were the children of Death Eaters, though some were merely alleged Death Eaters. Still, they would be the ones that had the most insight as to the events of last night.

The rest of the morning Harry could feel dozens of eyes on him as he made his way from class to class. The older students that milled around during their free periods to younger students in a rush to reach their next lesson – many seemed to turn and look at him as though seeing him in a different light following the speculative reports that they had received.

Lunch brought about more news as another wave of subscriptions reached the students. The Quibbler was the most prominent as it had released a special print to cover the Minister of Magic's unscheduled announcement while the Daily Prophet refused to adjust their publishing schedule and would have coverage of the event in tomorrow's edition.

Azkabam Suffers Mass Breakout –

The Ministry of Magic has confirmed that a mass breakout has occurred at Azkabam overnight. While the Ministry has yet to complete a census of the prison, the Minister of Magic was quick to lay blame with rogue wizard Sirius Black citing the fact that he was a follower of You-Know-Who and that he had previously broken out of Azkabam over two years ago. They believe that since his escape he has been gathering other dark witches and wizards to his banner and may have resorted to using the Imperious Curse to bolster his numbers.

Given the limited information that the Ministry of Magic is providing, it seems highly unlikely that Sirius Black was the perpetrator of the mass breakout. Ministry officials claim that a bright light believed to be from a Patronus Charm had illuminated the night sky, but it is more likely that a powerful explosive spell was used to break the outer wall of the prison, thus breaking the protections around the prison. Several guards who wished to remain anonymous all claimed that there was no silvery light present and that the only illumination came from the explosion that sundered the outer wall of the prison. The Ministry though refuted such claims – could this be another of many cover-ups orchestrated by Minister Fudge?

"There's no word anywhere about what happened with Nott Senior," Hermione stated. Leave it to her to be the first to skim through the entire two page print of the Quibbler.

"Looks like the smaller papers are jumping on this story quick," Ron stated. "Looks like it was Bella that wrote this."

"Bella?" Hermione spared him a glance as she resumed her scan of the Quibbler.

"She works for the Quibbler," Ginny replied. "She's the only paid writer though she doesn't get paid much. She's our cousin, Uncle Bilius' only daughter."

"Uncle Bilius doesn't live near us," Ron added. "He's older than dad and started his family well before mum and dad got married. Bella's like Ginny - the youngest and the only girl of the lot. She's the same year as Bill and the only Weasley in recent memory to be sorted into Ravenclaw."

"What else does she do?" Hermione asked.

"She works as a liaison for the merfolk," Ginny explained. "They have items that they sell to witches and wizards, but they need someone to represent them since they can't travel on land. She must have been in London at the right time. Usually she's along the coast dealing with the merfolk."

"So there's nothing about Nott," reiterated Hermione.

"There probably aren't many witnesses and the Aurors were busy dealing with the breakout," Ron pointed out. "If it was just a duel gone awry then no one is likely to say anything either."

"Has Theodore been to his lessons?" Hermione asked.

Everyone shrugged.

"Maybe we'll see him in Runes," Neville pointed out.

"So much for having a good day," Ron sighed as he claimed his third sandwich.

"You're still feeling it?" Ginny poured herself some juice even as she eyed the others who had helped imbibe the previous night.

"A bit," the taller redhead shrugged. "My back aches, but at least I didn't make a mess in the loo like someone did." He glanced at Seamus.

"Oy!" the other boy objected the insinuation, spitting out a bit of his chips.

"Someone was feeling good this morning," Hermione teased.

Harry blinked. Why had he been feeling so good that morning? He had nothing to be cheerful about, and the fact that the rinse had snapped him out of it suggested that something or someone else had affected his mood.

"I think Harry was spying this morning," whispered Ginny.

"Harry!" Hermione cried out indignantly.

"What?" the scarred boy replied.

"What?!" Ron nearly spat out his mouthful of food.

"Didn't you realize that you were the only one on the floor?" Dean asked.

"I was being a gentleman," Ron replied.

"Hermione and Ginny didn't sleep in your bed," Seamus added.

"Then who?" Ron's face was starting to turn red.

"Your bed was plenty comfortable," Ginny replied. Cautiously she glanced around to ensure that no one was listening in. "I don't know how you to managed to sleep comfortably."

"Who says they slept?" teased Dean.

Ron's face turned an even deeper shade of red.

"Neville was a perfect gentleman," Hermione said. While her slightly darker completion usually made it difficult to tell if she were blushing, her demeanor seemed to suggest that she'd broached a subject that she'd rather not divulge too much further into the matter.

"I'm sure he was," Seamus chuckled. "But someone wasn't acting proper."

"You should have closed the canopy better," Dean added. "Though I have found that it is difficult to dress or undress in it."

After four years of sharing a room with the other four boys Harry knew that each of them had gotten over their qualms about dressing and undressing. Sure, they had spent most of their first year dressing behind the curtains of their four posters, but by the end of their second year the boys had grown comfortable enough with each other that dressing and undressing was no longer an issue.

Neville cleared his throat.

"Sorry mate," Dean said with a coy smile. "I won't say anything else."

"I won't say anything while Hermione's around," Seamus added. "I'd rather not receive any detentions from the Prefect."

Thinking back to that morning Harry couldn't help but wonder how he'd missed the clues. Neville's bed was between Ron and Dean's, leaving Harry and Seamus on the opposite wall. They'd all been sitting on either Ron or Neville's bed as they passed the bottle around. Even now Hermione and Neville were sitting beside each other though they were far more casual about the fact that they were constantly brushing against one another.

"Did you hear?" Padma asked as she, Parvati and Lavender joined the group at the Gryffindor table.

Ron nodded, "The Quibbler's writer doesn't agree with the Ministry's narrative."

"Black could have Apparated," Parvati suggested as her sister claimed the seat beside Ron.

"Apparation over great distances isn't instantaneous," Hermione interjected.

"It's possible that he wasn't even in Wales, London, or Godrick's Hollow," Padma added. "Remember how crazy it was when he first broke out? There were mass sightings everywhere."

"But most confirmed sightings led to Hogwarts," Neville corrected.

"He could be anywhere though," Ron pointed out.

"What about the Ministry theory that he's gathered followers?" Padma suggested.

"There were many of Voldemort's" almost everyone else shuddered at the dark wizard's name "followers are still free," Harry stated.

"Like the ones you saw in the graveyard?" Ginny asked.

For once Harry stiffened.

"I know you don't want to talk about it, but if you told us about what happened more people might actually believe you," Hermione added. "We believe you, but there are still those who are skeptical. I know that it won't convince everyone, but it wouldn't hurt."

No one seemed to know what to say the rest of the lunch period.

"We're off to Ancient Runes," Neville said as he and Hermione excused themselves from the table.

"Neville and Hermione?" Lavender mouthed once the pair was gone.

Ron nearly choked on his sandwich.

"We have to get to Muggle Studies," Dean said as he pulled Seamus away. Though both were raised as Muggles the pair could not resist the easy grade.

"We need to get to the library," Padma said as she dragged Ron away.

With no one else to speak with Harry excused himself. He wanted to see Theodore, but he knew that Neville and Hermione would see to him.

"Hi Harry." Cho's melodic voice snapped him to attention and spun him around. The sixth year Ravenclaw was with her fellow sixth years.

"Hi Cho." None of the other girls said anything to him though some of them did manage to look at him and smile. It was her smile that he focused on though as it made him feel better. It was not the same as that morning when he felt good, nor was he actually happy, but he felt better.

* * *

Word of the mass break out from Azkabam buzzed through Hogwarts. As the resident Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Ranma knew that many of the students would turn to him. Lessons for the week were already set but Ranma was planning next week's lessons. He knew what he wanted to do, but there were things that he needed in place before he could conduct his lessons. Even by the end of the week the Gryffindor vs Slytherin match was overshadowed by talk of the breakout.

Despite his athletic prowess, Ranma was not a fan of most sports, particularly team sports. He enjoyed watching basketball, and football, but not American football or baseball as both sports relied on specialization of skills. As such he was not a big fan of Quidditch with the defined positions and rolls of the players. He respected what the players were able to do, but ultimately the sport itself was not one that he enjoyed.

Still, with two of his apprentices playing he knew that he needed to at least be present. Fortunately the match did not last as long as the Hufflepuff vs Ravenclaw match as Harry, sans weights, caught the snitch after ten minutes. Ginny, also sans weights, scored three goals, and handled the quaffle well for Gryffindor as they scored another five goals. The final score was not indicative of the athletic talent of the individual players unless one were to think that Gryffindor was fielding the best team that Hogwarts had seen in decades while Slytherin was fielding inexperienced players.

With Ginny and Harry absent from that day's training sessions, Ranma had Shampoo oversee their training as he dealt with acquiring what he needed for the next week of lessons. Fortunately for him there were several spectators that had come to Hogsmead just to view the match who happened to deal in magical creatures.

There was some hostility and resentment in the air as his first class of the week. It was always this way regardless of the year as Gryffindor and Slytherin remained a heated rivalry. The Gryffindors were not above holding the win over the heads of the Slytherins, but the fact that the match was not even competitive seemed to invigorate the rival houses.

To him the matter of Azkabam was something that he as a professor needed to address. More pressing to him was the way Neville had taken the news that his parents attackers were now free, Theodore dealing with his father's apparent death, and whatever it was that was bothering Harry. Neville seemed to bottle up his emotions and focused on completing his magic circle, Theodore was distracted, and Harry was somewhere in between. With the big match between Gryffindor and Slytherin now over, Ginny and Harry were once again refocused on their training and lessons. Well, maybe just Ginny.

"Today we will be working with a boggart," he stated as he gazed down upon the seated fourth years.

The raven haired Romilda Vane raised her hand, "Sir, we've already worked with boggarts last year."

"True," he ceded, "but not like this. You've learned to combat boggarts by changing their form into that of something less fearsome, but these boggarts are locked into their current form." Rather than waving his hand to open the locked cabinet he strode over to it and pulled off the seal before opening the door. The hooded figure that emerged glided over the stone floor. "Today you'll be learning how to deal with dementors."

The glass seemed to breeze by despite the fact that it, like all his classes, was a double session. By the end of the first period the fourth years had gone through the entire bag of chocolates that he'd supplied and by the end of the second period only three students remained upright despite the fact that the fake dementors were only half as powerful as a real dementor.

It was no surprise that Ginny was one of the three. Even before he had taken her on as an apprentice she had been among the top ten in her year in Defense Against the Dark Arts, now she was perhaps as prepared as some of the sixth and seventh years. Like Harry and Neville, Ginny was driven by the things that had happened to her in her past – namely the possession by a magical diary in her first year at Hogwarts.

"What they don't teach you about dementors is that they feed off of your negative emotions," he said once he'd returned the boggarts to the sealed area beside his desk. "They prefer fear and despair. Think of those emotions as sugar. Happiness is like biting into a tart lemon. It might be simplistic to think of emotions as flavors, but it's effective. That is why a patronus is so effective against them – it is an embodiment of your happiness.

"I know a guy who is so filled with despair that dementors would be ineffective against him. He'd simply create an embodiment of his personal despair and use it to lure away the dementors.

"There are other emotions that can be used to drive off dementors, but they have to be strong emotions." Stepping into the sealed area, he raised his hand. The bright yellow ball of energy flew from his hand, scattering the fake dementors. "These emotive blasts are effective in slowing down a real dementor, but they don't repel them. Still, they could be used against other beings or creatures that are capable of emoting."

A glance at the clock told him that the warning chime was about to go off. "For next week, I want a full page on your happiest memory and another two pages on the other emotions. Extra points for anyone who can manifest their emotions."

As was usual when their class ended, Ginny rushed off to her Arithmancy class while a few stragglers with a free half hour before lunch asked him a few questions. Lunch itself started as atypical with Professor Snape opting to take his meal in his office while he prepared for his afternoon classes leaving Ranma alone at that end of the table to mull his students and apprentices.

"Professor Saotome," the falsely sweet voice of the Hogwarts High Inquisitor suddenly made the meal all the less appetizing. And it was sushi. He'd so been looking forward to a sushi lunch (honestly he looked forward to each meal).

"Umbridge," he returned as he used his chopsticks to apply some wasabi to the rice.

The short, rotund woman eyed him as he ate, "I heard that you were teaching the fourth years how to deal with dementors."

He nodded, "Yeah."

"Why would you feel the need to teach them that? Dementors are all under Ministry control."

He shook his head, "If that were true then Potter wouldn't have been attacked over the summer – nor are you saying that someone in the Ministry approved of that incident."

She gave an obviously fake chuckle at the notion, though she did seem flustered. "The Ministry is still looking into that alleged"

"Are you saying that the witnesses are lying?" he set his chopsticks down and glared at her.

"It… it is entirely possible" she stammered "that they were merely boggarts, such as the ones in your class. I recall hearing that Mr. Potter's boggart appears as a dementor. Perhaps he mistook the boggarts as dementors since they do take on the shape and abilities of whatever their target fears the most." With each successive word uttered her confident grew. "I am sure that the auditors will find that there were no dementors involved with the incident that occurred with Mr. Potter."

He picked up his chopsticks as another tray of fish appeared before him, "I hope you are correct in your assumption."

With nothing further needed to be said, the High Inquisitor assumed her position at the end of the table with the Junior Inquisitor. No longer able to savor the flavors and textures of the meal, Ranma resorted to his old ways, quickly consuming mass amounts of the food before him in the time provided before he returned to his office.

The second class of fourth years came prepared for their bout with the fake dementors, though they did not fare as well as the previous class. Still, they at least brought their own chocolate. During the evening's remedial/tutoring session he gave after the dueling club, many of the older students attempted to cast the Patronus Charm. While the spell was considered advanced, Ranma knew that the spell was not part of the regular curriculum for the older students.

"Think of the happiest moment in your life," he said, repeating the words that Harry had said when he'd approached his apprentice about the lesson. "Dementors try to make you live your worst memories; that is why they affect some of you more than others. Not everyone has the same experiences."

His own memory was of learning that Akane had not died as a result of the battle with Saffron. Interestingly enough, his patronus was a phoenix. Most people had regular, non-magical creatures but Ranma was not like most people. Not only could he conjure a patronus, but he also could create a physical embodiment for his pride (supera) and anger (atrocitus) as well. The forms for each were different as well as his supera appeared to be a yellow dragon and his atrocitus was a giant red and white panda. Each was effective in dealing with the fake dementors, but he'd never actually used them against a real dementor.

"The Ministry teaches that dementors are repelled by a patronus, but did you know that there are other methods of containing and even killing them?" he asked the students that remained.

Harry of course was the first to appear bewildered by that.

"Dementors are considered a class three threat, but they are also considered a class four demon," Ranma explained. "They, like some higher demons, can consume souls. They are physical beings that can affect the metaphysical or astral plane."

"So one would need something on the astral plane to defeat them," surmised the brightest of his apprentices. Ranma nodded at Su.

"That is correct. Patronus, as well as other embodiments of your emotions, can affect and even harm a dementor, but spells that affect the astral plane can also deter or harm dementors," he explained. "A purified blade or even a maleficent blade could kill a dementor as well as leave a physical scar in the astral plane. Unfortunately there are few purified or maleficent weapons these days as most magi prefer to use magic to ward off creatures from the astral plane, and it would take years to create such a weapon, but they do exist."

He delighted in having their attention on him, not because he was their instructor or professor, but because they found what he was saying informative and useful unlike most of those he'd left behind in Nerima. He really was starting to enjoy Hogwarts and Hogsmead.

While he missed the constant challenge that his various rivals provided, towards the end of his stay in Nerima it had been obvious to him that they were no longer providing him with the challenge that they had previously and it fell on guys like Herb and Saffron to ultimately push the young martial artist to his full potential. As a Sensei and professor he was challenged in different ways by finding useful lessons that would be interesting and challenging.

The mental challenge was there, but he needed a physical challenge. Training with his apprentices and pack kept him in shape but it did not push him to be better. He needed a challenge and the Forbidden Forest would provide him with one.

The Forbidden Forest was not very forbidden, not to him at least. The magical forest was home to a tribe of centaur which he was on friendly terms with. It was home to a nest of acromantula and home to several packs of werewolves as well as a wide variety of magical creatures.

Most assumed that Hogsmead was the only all magical community, and they were technically correct, but the small village hidden in the Forbidden Forest was home to a community of werewolves, not all of them from magical families. Many of those who lived in that village were not in any recognized pack or wanted to have some semblance of normalcy in their lives, but on the nights before and after the full moon the inhabitants were forced to either sneak off into the forest or lock themselves in their cellars to keep themselves and others safe.

As the village was technically in centaur territories the activities that went on within the building were not regulated by the Ministry. The grounds on which the village stood were granted to the werewolves by the centaurs, a gift of good faith between demi-humans. Its location provided those who dwelt within the village the perfect place for their fighting pit.

The village itself consisted of several dozen worn and beaten buildings, each making the Shrieking Shack appear to be livable and hospitable. Gliding past the buildings, he was sure to keep to the shadows until he reached the tall building near the south end of the village. Shampoo had been the one to lead him to this place, and he was grateful for it. The crowd tended to be of the unsavory type, and there was a rough code of conduct, but the proprietors made sure to keep things from getting out of control as that was bad for business.

Though he'd come to view the fights before tonight was the first night that he was to participate. Weapons were not allowed, though wandless magic was. What he'd seen of the fights thus far suggested that the majority of fighters relied on brute force, overwhelming speed, or a mixture of both. The ring itself was enchanted to prevent the spectators from interfering as well as to keep them from being injured.

Few witches or wizards were willing to actually participate, not against the likes of the usual contestants of trolls (full and half-trolls), half-giants, ogres (full and half-ogres), werewolves, and vampires (full and half-vampires). The unusual entrants were the drakes, manticores, golems, elementals, and other constructs that were "managed" by some robed witch or wizard. Even werewolves were considered to be underdogs against the others, though under a full moon they were always favored against the humanoid combatants but few ever bet against the non-humanoid combatants.

Yes, this was the perfect place for him to challenge himself.

* * *

The fabled Chamber of Secrets had long been hidden from the staff and occupants of Hogwarts. Designed to allow only those who could speak Parsletongue, its ancient defenses had been pried open with the casual use of modern techniques and ancient enchantments. It had been a simple thing to rig up something akin to a tape recorder with enchantments and have it play back Harry's command to open the secret entrance in the girl's bathroom and to open the final door to the chamber. It was the ideal place to set up shop.

The vast cavern provided him with everything that he needed. There was a workshop for him to work on the enchanted dummies, plenty of tomes on magic, tomes on magical creatures, and ingredients for potions or alchemy, as well as living quarters. Yes, the Chamber of Secrets was the perfect place for him to keep his newest ally.

"I did not expect you back so soon," the man's voice was firm but not challenging. "Has something happened?"

Ranma eyed the man before him. He did not trust the man, but without a wand and bound by blood magic he was not going to be able to go anywhere unless Ranma permitted it. Still, he showed a reluctance to serve Voldemort. But how to use that Ranma was still unsure. "Greyback is captured and in the hands of the vampires."

It had taken him two matches before he'd fought the feral man in the fighting pits, and the vampires had been on hand to assist him in handling the injured wizard. Handing him to them had earned Ranma some points with the vampires. The faction that had been undeclared seemed to now be leaning away from siding with Voldemort.

"That's your plan?" the man scoffed. "For every Death Eater you manage to capture he'll just recruit two more. And there will be those who he will intimidate into joining or Imperious into compliance."

"You've got it all wrong," Ranma said as he poured himself some water. "I'm only taking out those I can't control. Those that can be of use to me, well, I'll put them to use."

The man considered his words before finally sitting on the chair. "So I'm useful to you?"

"Of course," the cursed martial artist replied. "I could not kill the father of one of my apprentices, it'd just be bad form."

Theodore Nott Sr. eyed him warily.

"Eventually I'll have to let Theodore actually see you, but for now he knows that Voldemort can't use you against him and as he is a minor and I his pack leader, I, in your absence, now get control of your estates," he explained.

Nott Sr. was taken aback by this revelation.

"I can see why your father thought that Voldemort" the man shivered at his master's assumed name "was appealing," he added "but I also see why you were hesitant to sign up with his lot. Sure, he is Slytherin's descendent, but he's also what you pure-blood elitists call a 'half-blood'. Not to mention that he's just as likely to turn on elitists if it suits his mood or if he finds you no longer useful. Besides, Voldemort being in power will not fill your coffers or vaults with gold."

"So why take out Greyback?" Nott asked. "He's useful, but he's only a figurehead. Handing him to the vampires will only make the rest of the werewolves resent you."

"Not if I can assure that the werewolves will get enough land to establish their own community, just like the one that the centaurs allowed them to have in the Forbidden Forest."

"You're going to gift them some of my land?"

Ranma shrugged. "I could, but I probably won't. But I do know someone who is willing to make such an agreement."

In truth, he did not know much of the politics that were driving the various factions in England's magical community. Theodore Nott Sr. would help him understand the political structure a bit better so that he did not have to rely on anyone else. Yes, they were allies, but he knew that if he could do it himself then he should not have to delegate to someone else.

"What are you going to do with my arm?" Nott finally asked.

He eyed to appendage in question as it sat in the preserving liquid. Like all of those who had sworn themselves to Voldemort and who the dark wizard had deemed trustworthy, Theodore Nott Sr. had the dark mark. It was a protein charm unlike anything that Ranma had seen, allowing Voldemort to not only signal and summon his followers, but to sense if they were alive. By severing the arm he hoped that he would be able to convince Voldemort and the others that Nott Sr. was dead. "When this is all over, I'll make sure that you have two working arms."


	11. Chapter 11

With increasing pressure on the Ministry to explain how the most devout Death Eaters had escaped from Azkaban it was soon apparent to all at Hogwarts that the Hogwarts Inquisitors were trying to make something happen at Hogwarts. Though his own classes had not been interrupted by either inquisitor, Ranma knew that few of the other classes were exempt save for Charms, Herbology, Potions, and Transfiguration as the four heads of house were fully capable of teaching their subjects. The two professors that were feeling the pinch the most were Professor Burbage and Professor Trelawney were the least qualified, then again Muggle Studies and Divination were the most subjective of courses. Even as a foreigner, Ranma thought he knew more about the English no-maj community than Professor Burbage who simply summered in Muggle communities. Divinations though was different as everything could be interpreted as one sign or another and only one with the true gift of sight could make an actual did not help that the Inquisitors were interrupting both classes with constant questions as they sought to trip up the respective professors.

As a professor he sympathized with his peers, but he also knew that he had his own problems to consider. While Neville was close to completing his magic circle he was also consumed by the knowledge that his parents' attackers had been freed from Azkaban. Theodore was similarly distracted as he dealt with the mysterious disappearance of his father. Ranma was not sure how Nott Jr. would take the revelation that Ranma had orchestrated it and that he was keeping Nott Sr. captive in the Chamber of Secrets.

He was used to issues or challenges coming at him one at a time and having solved the problem by the end of the week, but for him to deal with multiple issues and have them not resolve in a week was truly frustrating. No amount of training and sparring would help the boys, a matter that complicated things even more for Ranma as that was his forte.

"You're putting too much into it," he said as he examined Neville's magic circle. "Each point of your star does not need two sources of energy – try going with just one per point. Power is nice, but it takes time to build up that much power, making your spells slower thus easier to disrupt."

"I know," the tall fifth year grumbled. "'This is Sorcery – it's far more complicated and powerful than wand magic but with twice the downside.' I know it's more advanced than the spell tags that you use Sensei, and it's much more dangerous if it goes wrong… but" faltering, the youth leaned back into his chair "I need to balance the energy."

Ranma paused. "Balance…" He glanced at his disciple, "Fire and water do not balance out – both are elements that general oppose each other and thus are disruptive to each other but do not necessarily cancel each other out; it's same with lightning and earth."

Neville looked at him, realization and understanding sinking in, "Hot and cold, dry and wet, light and dark, life and death – what else can I use?"

"That will be for you to figure out," Ranma said with a knowing smile. He had several ideas, but it was Neville's circle to complete. Still, he felt that his student was making progress, at least in that regard.

"I guess I shouldn't focus too much on making it powerful so much as making it useful," Neville said softly. "I'd been focused so much on, you know, _them_ that I've forgotten to take into account who I really am. Good or bad, they helped make me into who I am today."

They worked in relative silence the rest of the afternoon before heading up to the Great Hall for dinner.

As expected the Great Hall was packed due to the late November squall that had blown in. The drafty old castle was not the warmest of places as the charms and enchantments did little to actually keep the castle warm. Only the common rooms and staff rooms were draft free so long as the windows were closed, and subterranean rooms had few windows but they were dank and dark. The Great Hall was the only room with enchantments to keep it at a reasonable temperature regardless of the weather.

The weather had driven even the usually aloof professors from their offices as few had chosen to venture down into Hogsmead for the weekend as was common. It also meant that the two inquisitors were present.

That Professor Trelawny was slightly inebriated did not help as she stumbled into the seat between his and Professor Snape's. It was not unusual for the other professors to switch seats, especially when the Inquisitors were present, but it did not help that the Divinations professor was being hounded by the High Inquisitor. Each of the professors knew that the only professors she avoided were the Headmaster and the DADA professor so seats by the two of them were at a premium.

Unfortunately that did not seem to be the case today as Umbridge parked herself in the seat on Ranma's other side. Not one to be intimidated so lightly, Ranma strode up to his seat knowing that many sets of eyes were turned in that direction.

Before he even reached the steps to the landing that elevated the staff table over the student tables Professor Trelawny's eyes locked on Ranma. She seemed to spasm before standing up and going rigid, her arm outstretched and pointing at him. "A rival will declare himself an enemy!" Her voice was raspy and far deeper than usual. "Death will seal a blood pact and your student's enemies will become yours!"

As quickly as it had started it was over as the Divinations professor coughed then sat down. Realizing that many eyes were upon her she lifted her hand to her lips and coughed lightly before wiping her mouth. "Excuse me but is there something on my face?"

Lavender and Parvati rushed up from the Gryffindor table in mild hysterics.

"You just made a prediction," Neville stated, his eyes wide in astonishment and alarm.

The entire school was abuzz with gossip during dinner with even a few teachers throwing him odd looks. Many had already surmised that the prophecy was not much of one as he was the Boy-Who-Lived's sensei. But which rival was it that would become his enemy and who would die? Those were the points that nagged Ranma the most.

Dumbledore shot him a cautious glance just as a strange message appeared in his bowl of rice, 'Unmentionables will arrive after dinner is over. Be in my office.' It had been written out in soy sauce in kanji so it had to be the Headmaster's doing. Not even bothering to spare the time to acknowledge the message, Ranma quickly added a raw chicken egg over the still steaming rice.

There were many eyes still on him as dinner was finished though he paid them no mind. With the speed that only he could manage, he nimbly avoided the crowd of gawkers and silently made his way up to the Headmaster's office. "Skittles." It was an American candy that he'd gotten the Headmaster hooked on. While less lively than the magical candies, there was just something about the heavily artificial treat that was addictive plus it had an odd name that few would think of as being appropriate for a password.

"Thank you gentlemen," the Headmaster's voice said, hinting that Ranma's presence was not to be announced.

Slipping into the shadows, he waited over the heads of the two Unmentionables as they departed. Once they were gone and the magical stairwell began to rise, Ranma slipped into the Headmaster's office.

"It is rare for me to have a professor up here this many times," Dumbledore said, his back to the doorway as he tended to his phoenix. The bird still did not like Ranma. "It's almost as though you have become a proxy for your ward and student."

"He gets into a lot of trouble I take it," Ranma shrugged.

"I am going to tell you something that few people know about. I am sure that you already surmised that Professor Trelawny's prophecy is about you and Harry, but I feel that I must give you some background information." Turning around, the man appeared to be showing his age for the first time in, well, ever since Ranma had known him. "Of course, this does not leave the office."

Ranma was not one for taking orders and balked at the idea of keeping secrets from his students. "I cannot promise that."

The two stared at each other in a battle of wills.

Finally, "Promise that you will not share this with your students until they are able to comprehend the magnitude of what I am about to share with you."

That sounded more reasonable, "Fine."

Sighing, Dumbledore took his seat behind his desk. "This is the third time that Professor Trelawny has been involved in creating a prophecy. The first was nearly sixteen years ago when she first applied for her position here. She comes from a long line of oracles, seers, and prophets, but the last notable member of her line was her great-grand mother. She made a prophecy that involved the man known as Lord Voldemort."

"And that prophecy was why he killed Harry's parents and tried to kill him?"

"Very astute," Dumbledore forced a smile to his face. "What most do not know is that the prophecy could have been interpreted so that it was Neville who would be the one to grow up as 'The Boy Who Lived'."

Ah, that was the big secret.

"She also made a prophecy less than two years ago," Dumbledore added. "This one was made only in Harry's presence and though he does not recall the exact wording, he has confided in me that the second prophecy foretold of one of Tom's followers setting out to rejoin his master and ultimately aiding in his return."

"You're talking about Pettigrew?"

The old mage nodded sagely, unsurprised that Harry had shared some of his past with his sensei. "And now there is this third prophecy that is likely to affect Harry once again."

With a shrug Ranma dismissed himself, turning to go without offering anything else to the conversation. He was still the Defense Against Dark Arts professor, a sensei to six extraordinary students, and he was still Ranma Saotome – that meant that whatever obstacles were put in his way he would find a way around, over, or through it if need be and right now he needed to see to his students' instruction.

The evening training was far less energetic than usual as each of the students mulled Professor Trelawney's words. "It is natural for martial artists to have rivals," he said as he carelessly avoided kick from Su. "I have at three regular rivals whom I have had over a hundred fights with, and there are others whom I've possibly irked or offended along the way as well."

He was slightly surprised by their acceptance of his words. "I guess you figured that out since Professor Trelawney"

"Actually," Ginny interjected as her punch forced Theodore to go on the defensive "you're not the easiest person to get along with."

"You're arrogant," Theodore added as he eluded Ginny and placed Neville between them.

"Disrespectful," Neville suggested as he sprang from a pole to avoid dealing with Ginny and Theodore.

"Petty," Theodore added as he caught Ginny's kick and sent her flying towards Harry so that he could focus on Neville.

"You freely toss out insults and taunts," Harry huffed as he ducked under the airborne Weasley.

Their words had little effect on their sensei as he had heard such remarks from so many others before. Still, it did make him think about his most persistent rivals. Yes, he was quick of wit and tongue, thus earning the ire of many, but most were easily defeated and deflated – but the other three seemed to have more at stake. Wait, no, they did have more at stake.

"And you can be fairly aggravating," Helen interjected.

Su nodded as she grabbed hold of a pole and spun around it. "You do tend to have a knack for making people get upset at you. It's like you use the tactics meant for fighting against everyone."

In all his years, Ranma had not thought about it that way. Yes, he was just doing what his old man had told him – use every moment to practice, even if that practice was learning to manipulate people's emotions.

"Is true," Shampoo nodded in agreement as she stomped on Su. "Every great warrior has made a name for herself and those who seek to make name for herself will seek to add your name to her list of defeated opponents. Many do not take lightly to losing and will try to regain honor lost in defeat."

While her English was improving, Shampoo still seemed to struggle finding the appropriate words for her lectures. Her fierce pride would not allow her to use a translating charm or any form of magic to aid her conversations and while some might sneer at her for such a decision, many of the patrons of the Hog's Head were willing to bash in the face of anyone who dared to voice such an opinion while they were around.

He knew that she was worried. Ryoga had vanished as per usual but Ranma was sure that the lost boy had come to an understanding with Ranma, especially since Akane had come out of the closet and left Nerima to travel the world. Kuno had his world shattered by the revelation but was busy trying to wrestle control of his family's fortune from his father. Mousse though was a loose cannon and the one rival most prone to use lethal force. True, Ranma had easily bested the nearsighted fighter during each of their encounters, but he was the one with the most access to magic and the object of his affections had married his rival.

"That's enough," Ranma stated as he leapt off of the poles and landed on the solid ground. "Physically, you've learned the basics, but now things are going to get difficult. You all have the basic forms down, but now you will be incorporating your magical affinity."

He waited for each of them to land before continuing his lecture. "There are five elements – earth, water, fire, wind, and void. Earth represents hardness, and is resistant to movement or change. Helen and Theodore, you are the most mobile of the six of you but you still endure your peers' attacks and can brush them off easily. Shampoo will help you with your element.

"Neville, you are water – fluid, flowing and formless.

"Ginny, you are fire – energetic, forceful, driven, and outgoing.

"Harry, you are wind – growing, expanding, evasive, elusive, compassionate and surprisingly wise.

"Su, you are void – creative, inventive, and being able to see things beyond your everyday experience.

"These are your primary affinities, that does not mean that you cannot also show affinities to other elements, just that that element is your most prominent and the easiest for you to channel and manipulate. I myself am primarily wind, though I am also void, fire, water, and occasionally earth. Shampoo is primarily earth but also shows flashes of each of the other elements.

"Tomorrow we will go over your individual elements with you, and then during the week we will begin to schedule individual training regiments for each of you." His methods were contrary to what his father's methods, but he was unwilling to use sink or swim tactics just to force his students to develop and master techniques. Besides, Neville had already progressed to the point of pursuing his own interests and studies, and he was close to completing his own magic circle, something that had not been done in generations. As their sensei though he was torn between the need to push them to learn life's harsh lessons in a safer environment or allowing the children to allow them to enjoy life's simple pleasures while they lasted despite the approaching war. He knew that since news of the mass breakout Neville had felt the need to push himself nearly to the point of exhaustion because the ones responsible for his parents' condition were now loose once again.

It was no surprise then that it was the tall and lanky boy who lingered behind even as the others dashed off to the dorms. "You have a question?"

"Sensei," there was a cloud of doubt over the youth's face, "I have noticed that Harry seems to be affected by the rinses the most – he is generally very energetic and happy, but before he began training with us he was angry and anything could set him off. After the rinses he seems to be more like his old self. He seems to realize this too but he doesn't say anything."

Ranma nodded, recalling how often he saw the other Gryffindor boy with wet hair. The rinses were supposed to help one calm oneself, but the Harry seemed to be relying on it too much.

"The other morning he was really happy. At first I thought it was because we'd had a good Halloween, but…."

"That was the night of the mass breakout," Ranma finished. Seeing Neville nod was all the confirmation that he needed.

"Harry is not one to talk of his problems," Shampoo chimed in. Her perceptiveness was a blessing as he lacked many of the social skills that most his age had developed though he was not sure if that was because she was a woman or if it was because he had not had a typical upbringing and had not been able to develop those social skills. He could remember being withdrawn when there were things that he needed to sort out, but that was when he needed to deal with his issues by himself. Harry now had a Sensei/pack leader as well as a pack that depended on him.

* * *

A powerful autumn storm battered Hogwarts, driving most of the students and staff indoors and away from the rain and wind. With his duties as a Prefect and as part of Gyrffindor's Quidditch team he had to endure the weather as he did his rounds and as he practiced. It was a small wonder really that he'd convinced himself to undertake this endeavor, but seeing how dedicated Harry was to his new training, Ron knew that he couldn't allow himself to fall so far behind his friend.

While he was not willing to endure the rigors of training under the newest DADA professor, Ron found something that he hoped would be just as useful. It was a long, slow play, much like the moves employed in wizard chess.

"Chance favors the prepared mind," he muttered as he waited for a flash of lightning. It was something that Percy had drilled into his head while teaching him to play chess. Though he was loathed to admit it, he knew that things were not in Harry's favor. This was but one of many unnoticed moves that hopefully would be able to turn a situation around in their favor.

A flash of lighting illuminated the empty room a moment before the thunder echoed off of the stone walls and floor. With the potion now complete, he quickly uncapped the phial. The liquid was hot – almost as though lightning had taken liquid form. As the potion went down his throat electricity raced through every cell as his body began to transform.

He seemed to shrink – no, he was shrinking. Suddenly he found himself entangled in his robes. Lacking fingers, he struggled with the remains of his clothes. Everything was alien to him – the feel of the chilly night air, the scents of the cold stone and hundreds of students and staff that had passed by the room, the electrified and humid air of the storm.

Unsure how much time passed, he suddenly realized that one scent was growing stronger. The sound of the door being opened was drowned by the rumbling thunder.

"Calm down." The voice belonged to Neville. Ron was just glad that he could still recognize voices despite the changes to his sense of hearing. Strong, firm hands helped disentangle him from his own clothes. "Your brother's out and about so keep it down."

The other boy's presence helped calm him as he adjusted to his new body. He had paws, and fur, and a tail. He was a dog!

He was a dog!

Actually, that wasn't too bad actually. Dogs were almost everywhere. Look at how Sirius got around in his cursed form. No one really thought much about dogs being around so yeah, that was useful. Plus he had a better sense of smell and hearing. Yeah, those were definitely pluses.

"You're going to need to enchant your clothes so that they aren't left around when you transform," Neville suggested.

The herbologist had been instrumental in Ron taking the path he'd taken. True, it had been Sirius' idea, but Neville had supplied him with the mandrake leaf as well as most of the other ingredients that the potion needed. Sirius provided him with the instructions but Neville had been the one who had been on hand for the past two plus months.

Being an animagus would be his wild card for when things went down. It was his way of making some progress even if he wasn't necessarily traveling along the same path as Harry. Besides, he didn't think he'd have the patience to endure the physically grueling training that Harry, Ginny, and Neville were facing every day. Plus, they all couldn't take the same approach or else they might become predictable.

* * *

Autumn gave way to winter as the end of the first term approached. The already drafty corridors became frigid as snowflakes danced in the air. It was nights like this that made him wonder if perhaps he had too many things on his plate. The evening trainings along with Quidditch practice meant that Harry was spending anywhere from three to six hours in the elements despite the fact that Gryffindor's next match was not until the end of January. Angelina's disposition had faded since their overwhelming victory over Slytherin as the prospect of playing the Hufflepuff team that would have crushed the Ravenclaws save for the fact that the later had managed to secure the snitch to keep the score from being too one sided.

Exhausted by a long practice in the fierce winds and light mist, Harry's hair was still wet when he entered the dormitory. He was far too tired to care that none of his roommates were present despite the late hour. Tossing another log into the heater before crawling into bed he shivered as the cold seeped into him.

"Harry!" There was an edge of urgency in Neville's voice as he threw open the door. "The Headmaster wants to see you."

Throwing on a robe, he followed Neville, noting that most of the Gryffindors were still awake and listening to the wireless. It was not until the two were out of the common room and standing before Professor McGonagall that he managed to shrug of his exhaustion. "Professor McGonagall." It dawned on him that all of the Gyrffindor Prefects were also gathered in the hallway.

"Potter, Longbottom," she returned, a stern look on her face, "the Headmaster wants to see the two of you immediately.

"The rest of you will need to make sure that the rest of your house is present. Jordan, Hall – watch over the common room. Weasley, Granger, Johnson, Smith – patrol the tower and make sure to escort any of your wayward housemates back to the dorms. The house elves will bring some leftover food from dinner to the common room if any of the students are hungry or thirsty. I will return once I have brought these two to the Headmaster's office."

In his four plus years at Hogwarts Harry had traversed the corridors often – during the day and at night, with crowds or without anyone around, but never had he felt such an ominous air through the castle as tonight. The first thing he noticed was that the suits of armor that were usually paired in corridors were actually patrolling the corridors ensuring that any student who had been out of their dorm was escorted back. The ghosts were noticeably missing and the figures in the paintings were huddled in conversation when they should have been sleeping.

"The High Inquisitor is coming," a painting declared. "She's in the lower corridor intent on intercepting you."

As the head of Gryffindor, Professor McGonagall knew virtually everything about Gryffindor tower and would not be stopped by anyone save the Headmaster. "Is the Junior Inquisitor with her?"

"No, he is not."

"Hmm," she muttered. "Dobby."

With a slight pop, the house elf appeared before the trio, "Mistress has summoned me?" It seemed odd for the usually energetic oddball of an elf to be so constrained, but he was standing before Professor McGonagall who was the picture of statuesque prim and properness.

"Take Potter and Longbottom to the Headmaster," she ordered him.

"Yes Mistress," the house elf said with a bow.

Turning slightly to glance at Harry, Professor McGonagall added, "The password is 'Chocolate Frog'." Orders given and passwords imparted, Professor McGonagall strode down the corridor to deal with the High Inquisitor. Before she was even three paces away the boys were gone, nearly instantaneously teleported to the griffin statue that guarded the Headmaster's office.

"Chocolate Frog," Harry said confidently.

"I really don't know why chocolate is so appealing to you," the statue remarked as it withdrew to reveal the stairs leading to the Headmaster's office. The pair quickly climbed the stairs and entered the office, allowing the statue to seal the passage.

"We will of course strengthen the wards and enchantments around Hogwarts," Dumbledore's commanding voice stated. "I think it wisest that Professor Trelawney not be aware of the danger that she is in and she is not one to come down from her tower often. Still, I will have a detail keeping an eye on her movements."

The Headmaster was not alone in his office. Professor Saotome in his true form stood before a pedestal. "Sensei," both boys said, offering the young man a polite bow before they turned to the Headmaster.

"Harry, Neville," the old wizard said, a warm but strained smile on his face. "I am sure that you are both wondering what is going on and why I have called you here while the rest of Hogwarts is being secured."

The boys' eyes glanced from each other to their sensei and then back to the Headmaster.

"There is a reason why Lord Voldemort attacked Harry all those years ago," Dumbledore stated. "And a reason why your parents were also targeted Neville."

The taller boy stiffened. Harry knew that few of his peers knew the truth about why Neville lived with his gran instead of his parents. Had he not been overly curious last year and explored the Headmaster's pensieve he too would not have known the secret that Neville still held onto.

"This is a pensieve," Dumbledore explained. "It allows the user to review memories – theirs or others. The memory that you are about to see is of when the prophecy about Voldemort was made in my presence."

Both boys walked up to the pedestal. The silvery liquid shone with an inner light revealing not a reflection, but images from Dumbledore's past memories. The Headmaster directed them to stand on opposite sides of the pensieve with himself in the middle. "All you need to do is touch your forehead to the surface. I will guide you to my memory."

* * *

A/N

I'll leave things here for now.

Dreamingfox


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note –

An "Unmentionable" is someone who works in the Department of Mysteries.

\+ + is speaking in Cantonese.

* * *

Breakfast was an unusually frantic affair as word of the attack on the Ministry of Magic had kept most of the student body and the staff from getting much sleep the previous night. A vast majority of the students appeared to be running on adrenaline alone while the rest were dragging themselves to their respective tables. Even his own apprentices were… well, off.

The revelation of the prophecy that linked Harry (and possibly Neville) to Voldemort, and which had caused them both to lose their parents was devastating. The news that Neville's parents had been murdered did not help their situation. He'd canceled the morning practice and all of his apprentices had not shown up in the Great Hall for breakfast.

That Dumbledore had taken such great measures to protect the prophecy (beyond what the Ministry of Magic and the Department of Mysteries had lent) baffled the young professor. Yes, knowledge could be power, but knowing the full wording of the prophecy versus knowing the context of the prophecy was hardly worth the effort in Ranma's mind. To him it was more valuable knowing that Voldemort and his followers were trying to get the prophecy then actually having it.

The attack on the Ministry of Magic was perhaps inevitable, but it had been clearly staged. Ranma had met Sirius Black and knew the man to be a caring if somewhat egotistical and full of himself. He was not one to follow the belief of pure-blood superiority, especially given that he had been banished from his family for not embracing such tenants.

The story being spread was that Sirius Black was now leading the recently freed Death Eaters. Enlisting the aid of some mysterious foreign witch/wizard and werewolves, they had assaulted St. Mungo's. A foreign wizard had apparently brought unleashed several werewolves who had been staying at St. Mungo's free, allowing them to ravage the hospital and drawing much of the attention of the aurors, leaving the Ministry of Magic virtually unguarded. The depth and scale of the attack on the Ministry of Magic had yet to be addressed but Dumbledore's sources had informed him that the Voldemort himself had reached the Department of Mysteries before retreating. That they had gone after the prophecy had been evident as the Order of the Phoenix had undertaken the task of guarding the prophecy unbeknownst to the general public. Emmeline Vance had been one of the half-dozen casualties. Some speculated that she had been chased down there once the fighting had broken out but Dumbledore and the members of the Order knew better.

For perhaps the first time in his life Ranma Saotome did not have an appetite. Setting aside his plate and the half-eaten food he dismissed himself from the staff table. The werewolves had struck the Janus Thickey Ward for irrevocable spell damage, mauling all of the patients that resided there including one of Ranma's predecessors Gilderoy Lockhart, and Neville's parents Frank and Alice Longbottom. Professor's prophecy was becoming reality – his enemies were his student's enemies and vice versa.

It did not even bother him that the early descriptions of the foreign mage resembled that of one of his rivals – Mu Tsu. His involvement hindered the East Asian dealings with the English Ministry. What bothered the DADA professor though was the callous disregard that his rival had. It sickened him to think that someone trained in the art was using the art as a tool for murder. Yes, there were times when killing was necessary, but clearly the aurors had been outclassed by Mu Tsu, yet he had felt the need to take their lives. The viciousness and savagery of the dark magi's attack turned his stomach.

"Professor," it was Parvati Patil. Most of the Gryffindor fifth years had been absent at breakfast, along with the rest of Ranma's apprentices. They had closed ranks around Neville once word of the severity of the attacks at St. Mungo's had been reported. All knew that Neville lived with his maternal grandmother but few knew why.

"Yes?" he replied, not wanting to butcher her name.

"Is, well, is he really back?" she asked nervously.

"Of course he isn't!" Umbridge replied, her shrill voice filling the side corridor purposefully. "This was the work of a deranged mad man and his foul lot of fanatics! Sirius Black is just following his late master's orders."

"I think he's back," Ranma said defiantly. "Regardless of if he is or isn't, I will still be here to teach you how to protect yourselves and your loved ones as best you can. The one thing I can't do for you is to tell you who to trust and believe – those are things that you will have to decide for yourself."

The squat little toad looked like she was about to explode as he turned into one of the multitude of corridors. Once she was well behind him he slowed his pace, "You know where they are?"

Even keen, trained eyes missed the slight distortions as the demiguise traversed the castle's corridors. The shy creature would only be seen if it wanted to be seen. Its ability to blend in anywhere combined with its limited precognitive ability made demiguises hard to capture.

Hogwarts was a large castle but given the number of students and staff it was no surprise that there were many corridors and classrooms that most ignored or forgot about. The isolated classroom was hard to reach under normal circumstances as there were no stairs to connect the tower to the eleventh floor of the main castle and the enchantments at the base of the tower prevented one from using brooms to reach the next landing. While Martin was unable to fly, his strong, nimble fingers were able to find purchase along the wall that allowed him to climb to the landing. It was but a simple jump for Ranma, a feat that his apprentices were also capable of achieving.

"Watch them," he said, turning his back to his familiar. The three boys were each facing their own dilemmas - Harry with the prophecy involving Voldemort, Neville with the death of his parents, and Theodore with the disappearance of his father. They needed time to process their emotions and thoughts. They needed their friends to comfort him, not their sensei to make them push their issues aside.

A strong hand gripped his shoulder, preventing him from leaving. Martin was his familiar, but the clever demiguise had yet to steer him wrong.

"Fine, fine," he sighed. In a single fluid motion he turned around and leapt up to the landing.

Nearly invisible stairs lined the circular wall of the tower. At the top of the tower was a decent sized room with wood fire heater and several windows. The couches and pillows had been conjured/drawn by the students for their own comfort.

Hermione was seated next to Neville, her hands on his arm as he stared into the fire of the heater. Harry was sandwiched between Ginny and Ron with Padma beside him. Parvati was talking with Theodore near a window along with Su and Helen. Dean and Seamus sat opposite Neville, each occasionally glancing at Harry and Theodore.

"I still remember the feeling I had when I thought that Akane had died," he said as he approached the group. "I'd been fighting the phoenix king Saffron – we'd leveled an entire mountain range and the valley was in ruins, but all I could think of was that Akane had died." Though he had told many stories of his past battles, he rarely spoke of the incident that had caught the Headmaster's attention. "It was the worst feeling I'd ever had."

"Was?" Of course it was Hermione who had to ask.

"We managed to restore her," he added with a sigh. "Still, I have an idea of what you're feeling, though what I felt then may pale when compared to what you're currently feeling. I have noticed though that the things you feel, especially when it's the first time, may seem overwhelming, but it's only because this is the first time you're feeling something so intense. It's like being cut or having a bone broken – the first time is always worst, but over time it won't hurt as much and the next time it happens it doesn't hurt as much.

"And there will be more. Voldemort is still working from the shadows, but his forces are gathering and getting bolder. What do you think will happen once it becomes an open war?" All eyes were on him as he stood tall over the younger magi. "This was way before my time, but during what the No-Maj call the Second World War, the international magical communities were also fighting a war. During the First World War, Grindelwald rose to power, but his forces were scattered and he was imprisoned briefly before returning to Europe and establishing a firm base of operation. Eventually the Headmaster, then the Transfiguration Professor, dueled and defeated Grindelwald. With their leader defeated, the witches and wizards that supported him were rounded up and imprisoned.

"Then there was the First Wizarding War in Brittan which ended less than four decades later. Europe's magical community was decimated as a result of the wars. When you walk around Hogwarts you see a few classrooms full, but how many more are empty? How many 'secret' or unused rooms like this one are there? There was a time when the castle was full of students and staff, when there were two or three professors teaching each subject.

"The magical world as a whole was decimated. Everyone that survived lost someone they loved, in some cases entire families were wiped out. I can't prepare you for dealing with that, but I can prepare you, all of you, so that when push comes to shove, you are more likely to survive then to be killed. Sometimes you'll need to run, sometimes you'll have to fight, but regardless, I want you to survive, even if that means that you'll have to live with the fact that some of your friends and family may not have."

He did not want to admit that he was afraid. He could not afford to let them see that he was afraid. He was their sensei, their teacher. "Now, I've got a class to prepare for." Turning, he casually descended the stairs, maintaining the mask of confidence that he always presented. He was afraid – not for himself, but for his apprentices; his pack. Dark times were on the horizon and the threat was like nothing that he had ever faced before.

It did not help that the English Ministry of Magic still refused to accept the fact that Voldemort had returned. Still, by acknowledging that there were dark magi on the loose was a start. Unfortunately that seemed to be the extent of their ability to protect everyone. Many of the alleged Death Eaters that had escaped imprisonment had strong ties to the Ministry, some were even notable figures or even headed departments. Of the recent batch of escapees there were a number who had been high ranking ministry officials. It was not impossible for them to have intimate knowledge of the Ministry and its dealings. No, it was more likely that individuals or families could not rely on the Ministry for their protection.

As the day wore on, Hogwarts students approached him between classes. Most were from mixed or No-Maj families whom Voldemort and his followers detested, though a few were from families that had long opposed the dark witches and wizards.

"Wards are useful but not infallible," Ranma said as he looked at his final class for the week. The double Gryffindor/Slytherin fifth years were always fun. That three of his apprentices were present and helped as aids during the practical half of the lessons made his work all the easier. "Those of you in runes and arithmancy should be able to put up better wards then the others, but you should also be able to spot the flaws in other's wards given a reasonable amount of time. When layering wards it makes things even more complicated, which is why most magi would rather strengthen existing enchantments.

"Who can tell me the difference between an enchantment and a ward?"

It was of course no surprise for Hermione Grainger to raise her hand, but she was not the only one. "Malfoy."

"Wards are temporary, and they require less energy than enchantments," the Slytherin Prefect stated. It was not the textbook definition, but it was close. "Enchantments also employ runes that are etched into a solid surface whereas wards are glyphs that are drawn or painted on and thus can be removed or undone if someone were to simply scratch or erase part of the glyph."

"Two points to Slytherin for a good answer." With a wave of his hands he signaled to the class that the practical half of the lesson was over. He normally enjoyed his lessons, but having the High Inquisitor sit through it without saying anything was a surprise and irksome. He knew that she'd wait until the class was over to inject some snide remark about what he taught and then question the relevance of his lesson. "I want you to work on your wards – I'll probably unleash some doxies or pixies on the class to see how well you can deter them from invading your personal space."

As their last class for the day, both the Gryffindors and Slytherins were in a rush to gather their things so that they could enjoy the weekend. "Longbottom, Nott, Potter," he called out to his three apprentices before they could exit the classroom. "I need to have a word with my apprentices," he added to Umbridge as she tried to assert herself into the conversation. Though his words kept her at bay, she still hovered about.

"Sir," Harry said as he approached.

"Sensei," both Neville and Theodore said.

"Harry, Theodore, tell the others that there will not be a lesson tonight. I will be accompanying Neville." The rest did not need to be said. Even Umbridge seemed to hesitate though Ranma couldn't imagine her being close to her parents unless they were as spiteful as she was. "Neville"

"I understand," there was a hint of pain in his voice. Neville quickly glanced at the ground, gulping or swallowing as he regained his composure. "When do we leave?"

"We will need to be at the Headmaster's office in half an hour," Ranma replied.

"I'll take your things to the dorm," Harry offered.

"Thanks mate," Neville shrugged off is bag.

Neither said anything as they rushed to the Headmaster's office, though Ranma was relieved that the High Inquisitor had not opted to try and follow them.

If there was one thing in the magical world that Ranma Saotome hated, it was transportation magic. He was fine with brooms or carpets, but the floo network, disapparating, and portkeys were unbearable. The latter two were disorienting and could cause nausea and vomiting to even the most seasoned travelers. It was why he'd opted to actually cross all of Asia and most of Europe on foot with Happosai instead of taking a portkey to England. Had the circumstances not warranted such travel, Ranma would have opted for more conventional travel.

Just as he was about to touch the goblet, Martin touched his hand. It was rare for the demiguise to reveal itself, rarer for it to share the vision that it had.

"A demiguise," Dumbledore said in the way that only he could so as not to come off as surprised even though he was.

"It's a trap," Ranma stated as he processed the images that flashed through is mind. "Twelve death eaters, three captives – they're expecting us."

"They're expecting you, but they won't expect me," Dumbledore stated. They were the only ones in the Headmaster's office. "Brutus – find Professor McGonagall and inform her of the situation. Phineas – inform the Order."

"Yes, Headmaster!" the two portraits shouted before vanishing.

"I'm going too!" Neville said as he gripped the goblet.

"Ready yourself," the Headmaster said as he gripped his wand.

"Martin – find Shampoo," Ranma instructed his familiar as he grabbed hold of the goblet. "Keep your eyes closed."

It felt as though he were being pulled inside-out by the teleportation magic. For a brief moment his feet were off the ground, but when they hit the ground again he knew that the teleportation was complete.

"Accio!"

Ranma could feel the goblet turned portkey being pulled from his hand. The moment it left their hands a blinding flash of light filled the room. The element of surprise lost, the Death Eaters shot off their spells carelessly.

"Crucio!"

"Exumai!"

"Bombarda!"

"Immobulus!"

"Incarcerous!"

"Incendio!"

"Crucio!"

Crouching low, he allowed the first volley of spells to fly over his head before he launched himself at the closest masked wizard. Some of the spells had bounced off of the walls though others blasted bits out of the wall and ceiling.

Only his memory of Martin's vision allowed him to actually find the closest Death Eater. His strong hands grasped the wrist of the wizard, snapping the wrist as though the bones were but mere twigs even while sending the wizard flying towards another Death Eater. A swift kick shattered the knee of a third assailant, throwing the wizard's spell high as he toppled backwards. Hearing the first wizard colliding with two more figures, Ranma punched the wizard guarding the captives.

"Crucio!"

"Crucio!"

"Immobulus!"

Things had worked out just as Martin's vision had foreseen. Unfortunately the brief flashes were far too brief as the battle had just started.

Behind him Neville had ducked and dove between two Death Eaters, allowing them to blast each other as they still fought blindly.

"Crucio!" the lone witch shouted. Her spell connected with Neville. His body shuddered and convulsed as the unforgivable curse sent waves of pain through him.

With a flick of his wrist Ranma sent several spell tags flying at her.

Forced to choose between continuing to inflict pain and defending herself, she opted for the later. With her wand she tried to brush aside the tags but only managed to get the tags to explode, filling the air with a smoky mist.

+I had a feeling that you'd have some tricks up your sleeve.+ It was Mu Tsu. The robed Amazon wore no mask as he descended. In a flash, steel filled the gap between the two rivals as hundreds upon hundreds of throwing knives and darts were unleashed only to be met with a powerful blast of wind that knocked the weapons aside.

"I'll take care of foreign wizard," Ranma proclaimed as Dumbledore bound two of the Death Eaters.

The element of surprise was gone for both sides as the remaining Death Eaters slowly regained their senses. Of the original dozen only half were still on their feet. Four dueled Dumbledore with the other two trying to revive or free their defeated comrades, leaving Neville to gather his wits before moving to tend to his grandmother and uncles.

Though he had faced Mu Tsu many times before, the stakes were different this time. The Undetectable Extension Charms on the sleeves allowed Mu Tsu to pull out any number of weapons, though he favored another barrage of thrown/banished weapons. Ranma responded with a blast of water from his wand, knocking the projectiles off course and forcing his rival to dodge to avoid having his curse triggered.

+Once I kill you, Xian Hua will be mine!+ Twin meter long hooked swords reinforced the Amazon's proclamation. Ranma ducked and spun before delivering a palm strike to the ribs that threw off his rival's footwork and balance.

"Withdraw!" the lone witch Death Eater shouted. A chorus of pops filled the room as the Death Eaters sought to retreat.

+Next time Saotome!+ Mu Tsu grumbled as he pulled out a vial of water. With one fluid motion he tossed the vial into the air, cut it with his hooked swords, threw said swords at Ranma, and allowed himself to be splashed with the water. Rather than one single duck seven appeared. Four flew straight at Ranma and the remaining three flew away. Forced on the defensive, Ranma leapt back, grabbing some of the deflected throwing knives and launching them at the approaching fowl. Three of the offending birds flew over the knives, while the other third was hit squarely. An explosion rocked the room, disorienting the remaining occupants. In the confusion the other three fowl also exploded – showering them with more throwing knives and projectile weapons. Between the debris from the explosion and the sheer number of projectiles, it would have been impossible for him to dodge everything. Fortunately he did not need to block or dodge them all as he countered with a four point barrier, placing two spell tags on the floor and two on the ceiling to create an impenetrable magical wall that shielded him and those directly behind him from some of the barrage. In theory the ward/shield was useful, but Mu Tsu had anticipated such a tactic as this barrage was more than just throwing knives and dart. Throwing stars and boomerangs flew around Ranma's barrier. With more knives and darts coming Ranma could only watch as his apprentice pulled off his robe and spun it around to create a makeshift barrier. It wasn't enough.

Was the last of the blades were knocked aside either by Ranma's barrier or Dumbledore's wandwork, Ranma rushed to his apprentice's side.

"Neville?" the old witch said weakly as she looked up at her grandson. Several boomerangs and throwing stars had cut through his school robes and shirt leaving the clothes unusable.

"Don't touch the handles," Ranma ordered the survivors. "Make sure you have dragon hide gloves on before you pick the weapons up." Pulling out his own pair of basilisk gloves he eyed the cuts on Neville's shirt. It was a good sign that none of the weapons that had hit him had embedded themselves into his arm or chest. The special clothes that he'd provided his apprentices with had done as expected, protecting the young wizard even in the face of non-magiced weapons. Other than slight discolorations from the poisons Mu Tsu employed, the basilisk hide had been marked by the assault. Even the best goblin blades could not pierce an adult basilisk's thick hide so easily.

"Is everyone alright?" the Headmaster asked as he eyed the hundreds Longbottoms.

"We're fine," the old witch replied.

"Just a bit rattled," one of the wizards added. "I suspect that they weren't expecting much resistance from you lot and if they did then they thought they could use us as leverage."

More pops in the courtyard indicated that the Ministry or at least the Order of the Phoenix had finally arrived.

"I suspect that the Death Eaters were able to enter because some of them are distantly related to you," Dumbledore surmised. "It might be best to have the wards and enchantments changed and enhanced."

* * *

Word of the Death Eater's attack on the Longbottoms had reached Hogwarts well before Neville had returned from the planning for his parents' funeral. While the others had questions, they knew that he needed some time and space to process all that had happened. His mind was racing even as he tried to comprehend all that had happened.

Being hit by Bellatrix Lestrange's Cruciatus Curse had been eye opening. It was the spell that had broken his parents and it was performed by one of the individuals convicted of attacking his parents. The pain had been unbearable. Only his sensei's intervention broke the spell.

But it was the foreign wizard's attacks that had opened his eyes. For the briefest of seconds he could see his life pass before his eyes as he felt several blades hit his chest and arm. Had the basilisk shirt and gloves not stopped the blades, the curses and poisons would have killed him. Yet in that moment when time seemed to stand still he realized what his magic circle needed to be complete.

With the other boys in his dorm acting as a buffer between himself and the rest of the Gryffindors, Neville rushed up to their room.

"What happened?" Harry asked as Hermione closed and charmed the door.

"The Death Eaters forced their way into my gran's house," Neville explained. "Professor Dumbledore said it was something to do with the wards on the house allowing some of them in because they're distant relatives."

Dean and Harry were the most startled by the idea.

"Most pure-blood families are related," Ron muttered. "I'm distantly related to Draco, Harry, and Neville because a cousin married a Black."

Ginny nodded.

"So the protective wards did not keep them out because they were related," Hermione repeated.

"They subdued gran and two of my great-uncles, and they were waiting for us to show up," he added, still unsure how much he was allowed to share. Familiars were fairly common, but having a magical familiar such as a demiguise was unusual. "They didn't expect Professor Dumbledore to come with us."

The others seemed to relax a bit.

Slowly, carefully, he retold the others all that he was allowed to tell about the attack, leaving out only the bits about Professor Saotome's familiar, and that the three of them had touched the portkey knowing that they were entering an ambush. Though it had been his first battle, his training had allowed him absorb as many details and information as he could. Still, it had been his first fight against more experienced opponents and he knew that he'd have to do better next time. Had his sensei and Dumbledore not been present the fight would have gone differently. He knew that he couldn't rely on having them watch his back every time.

It was well after midnight when the others had finally stopped asking him to retell his account of the fight. Ginny and Hermione had vanished, leaving the boys alone to prepare for bed. Even after hours of discussion, Neville's mind was racing – not with thoughts on the fight, but on the flash of inspiration that had hit him when his life seemed to have flashed before his eyes.

"I need to get something to eat," Neville muttered as the other boys prepared for bed.

"That sounds like a great idea," Ron instantly perked up at the mere mention of food.

It was too late, and given what had just happened, unlikely that the other boys would leave him alone for too long. "You guys want anything?"

Dean yawned while Seamus shook his head. Only Harry gave him a curious look before shrugging his shoulders.

With all that had happened over the past week, it was no surprise that the common room was still packed. Using a spell tag, Neville turned himself invisible while Ron simply donned his Prefect's badge. Only another Prefect or one of the staff would ask why a Prefect was out and about. He followed Ron closely, not wanting to get separated from the redhead as Ron passed through the common room unimpeded before exiting the portrait hole.

"Blimey," Ron muttered, "you're getting too good at that."

Pulling off the tag, Neville shrugged.

The two quickly made their way through the castle, avoiding the few patrolling Prefects that were supposed to ensure that none of the students were out of their respective dorms. "Where are we really going?"

"You're going to get some food," Neville said as he pulled out another invisibility tag. "I'll be going to the Room of Requirement. Meet me there after you've stopped by the kitchen."

* * *

A/N

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years!

Dreamingfox


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Notes –

Tax season is over! Now I can get back to writing, when I'm not taking care of my dog or yard… or exercising.

* * *

The chill of winter seeped into Hogwarts as the end of the first term approached. It did not help that the sun rose nearly an hour later and set half an hour sooner in England than it did in Japan. The flickering light of the torches illuminated the corridors as well as provided meager protection from the freezing gusts. Only the sheer number of students and staff in the Great Hall provided it with the necessary warmth though most students still donned thick sweaters beneath their school robes.

His morning sparring helped his apprentices learn to deal with the cold and darkness as there was little to no light in the pre-dawn hours while their evening lessons were now held in an abandoned subterranean classroom near his office and consisted of magical theory and application as he sought to nurture their magical affinities. What Western magi tended to overlook was the fact that affinities affected the flow of magical energies through the castor. Wands compensated and regulated the flow of energies so that the spells worked, but without a wand most Western magi were unable to use their magic. Those trained in wandless magic needed to make the subtle adjustments themselves, a reason why wandless magic was so difficult. Few had the dexterity in their fingers to master the nuanced gestures and interlocking and unlocking to cast even the most basic of spells, it was no wonder that such a style was no longer widely taught.

Fortunately his apprentices were not learning wandless magic. For his students the act of creating an elemental barrier with just a flick of the wrist was now commonplace though only Theodore and Neville were able to block spells with their barriers. Dealing with barriers would be something that they would work out for themselves over the holidays before forcing them to be able to conjure the barriers without their wands.

For the rest of the school, Ranma was still undecided as to what would be a suitable end of term exam. He still did not like the whole grading system of assigning arbitrary letters/words as a way to gauge how much the students had learned. Clearly he couldn't compare them to himself at their age as he was well, far beyond what they were capable of. He'd ultimately settled on a Pass-Fail system and it was why he'd placed so many students into the remedial DADA lessons. The tests that he'd given out at the end of each month had been straight-forward – use the spells that had been taught or fail; learn to defend against the spell/hex/curse that had been taught/discussed or fail; if you failed more than succeeded then you failed the exam. For the end of term exams though he knew that he needed to challenge them to use the spells but using them under pressure.

Breakfast, as appetizing as it was, was merely an afterthought to him as he prepared for the final full week of the term. Some of the other professors had already begun testing the students, though only because the Headmaster did not want the students to feel too burdened. Suddenly a smirk appeared on his face, causing the few students who happened to be looking in his direction to shudder.

Breakfast was much more satisfying now that he had that burden off his shoulders. Waiting until the Headmaster ordered the elves to clear the tables he made his move. "Headmaster."

The wily old man smiled eccentrically, "Ah, Professor Saotome, please, call me Professor. I know that our cultures are different, but as a fellow Professor you are allowed to address me as a peer."

"Professor Dumbledore," he corrected himself, "I would like to request the use of the northern courtyard for the week so that I may conduct the end of term exams."

The wizened wizard simply nodded, "As you wish. I see that you will be having a practical examination then. Will you need any assistance?"

"I would greatly appreciate that," he added. While he could handle it himself he actually had an interesting idea.

"Mister Weasley," he turned to the Junior Inquisitor as the two ministry officials pretended to stroll by casually, "would you mind assisting me in overseeing the end of term exams?"

"Pardon?" the younger official was surprised.

"I believe that as the High Inquisitor, I should be the one you need to speak with first," Umbridge stated.

Dumbledore nodded in agreement even as he assessed the situation.

"My bad," Ranma said offhandedly, playing the English as a second language card. "High Inquisitor, would you mind if I had the Junior Inquisitor assist me in overseeing the practical examinations?"

"Why would you need to administer a practical examination? Should a theoretical examination not be sufficient?" she huffed, still indignant at the slights.

"I have never been one to merely rely on theory," Ranma stated. "Besides, with all that had occurred lately do you not think that practical examinations might not be necessary? While Hogwarts is safe, many of them are going home for the holidays and who knows what dangers they might face? Why, some of them will be staying at Hogwarts because their families feel that they are not safe at home."

The Ministry of Magic could no longer ignore the dangers that the public faced. Since the mass breakout of known Death Eaters there had been numerous attacks, including the one on the Longbottoms and the Ministry of Magic. Public opinion had shifted and so too had the Ministry of Magic's stance. While they acknowledged that dark witches and wizards were responsible the Ministry and public seemed to dread the idea that Voldemort was the one pulling the strings.

The initial wave of attacks following the attack at the Ministry of Magic and then on the Longbottoms had been followed by abductions of noted diviners, seers, and fortune tellers to the extent that even those who pretended to be able to do so for No-Maj were targeted. Professor Dumbledore had even gone so far as to personally request that several suits of armor and gargoyles keep watch of Professor Trelawney.

There was rampant speculation regarding Professor Trelawney's prophecy, some even stating that it was because of her that Professor Dumbledore had seen fit to accompany Neville and Ranma to the Longbottom's to thwart what turned out to be an ambush. Few suspected that the source of the vision had actually been Professor Saotome's familiar. That was knowledge that none of his other apprentices knew, and none of the other professors save for Dumbledore knew what Ranma's familiar was.

"What will you require of me?" the Junior Inquisitor asked once he was sure that his superior would have no other objections.

"We will need to clear out the Northern courtyard," Ranma replied. "Then we'll need to put some protective spells around the courtyard so that no one other than us can spy on the exams. Once that is done I will simply need you to be present during the exams to help oversee them."

Percy turned to Delores before nodding in agreement.

"Good, meet me in the Northern courtyard after lunch." He'd need to prepare the necessary spells and enchantments, as well as clear the courtyard, and inform the students that exams were to be held in the courtyard. He'd also need to adjust the difficulty of the exams depending on the class. The first class on Monday was the fourth years, then the sixth years, and the seventh. The fifth and seventh year students were easier as their actual term grades did not matter due to the fact that they were taking the O.W.L.'s and N.E.W.T.'s at the end of the year respectively.

The morning sun was barely over the castle walls as the fourth years gathered in the courtyard, their curious eyes scanning the ground and walls looking for any sign of what their professor had in store for them. Fresh snow covered the ground, shrubbery, and occasional bench as the students spread out before him.

"I am sure that you all know the Junior Inquisitor," the young professor stated as he addressed the class. "He will aid me in supervising your end of term exam. There will be only two grades – pass or fail." With a flick of his wrist he levitated two score of golden orbs so that they floated before each student. "In the globe you will find the name of someone in this class. Your goal is to capture the globe from the person whose name I have provided you. Once you capture their globe they are eliminated and you will then be tasked with capturing the person named in their globe. If you are captured, the person that captured you will receive your globe as well as any orbs that you posses. Do you all understand?"

Everyone nodded, but one Gryffindor raised her hand.

"Yes Miss Vane?"

"What of the person that is chasing us? If I am engaged with my pursuer but their pursuer also engages them"

He nodded, "Defend yourself at all times. You may only initiate combat with the person you are pursuing, but if someone engages you, then you should act to defend yourself. Keep in mind, situations could always change.

"Now, take the orb before you. When the fountain sprays water the exam begins – when it stops running the exam is over. Those of you who still have your globe will pass; those who have you're your orb or been eliminated will have failed." The gathered Gryffindors and Slytherins scattered, some looking for their target and others curious as to who had their name.

That he expected Ginny to pass had been a given – she was his apprentice and she had prevailed in all of the duels over the course of the term. As soon as the fountain signaled the start of the exam the courtyard erupted into controlled chaos. The fourth years had learned to identify curses and hexes, how to defend oneself, counter-act, and remove both types of spells but now they would need to put all that they learned together for a grueling, physical exam.

Water sprayed into the air, signaling the start of the exam. Before the students could react, two icy walls began to appear as the water sprayed from the fountain hit the frozen ground of the courtyard. Cautiously the students began to spread throughout the courtyard. After a minute the fountain shifted the spray to two other areas, creating two more walls.

Romilda Vane was the first to engage her target. The slender Slytherin boy she chased was well prepared though as he threw up an effective barrier that deflected her jinxes. All could feel the energies collide as the low level invisible jinxes bounced off the barrier and hit the snow covered bushes.

Spells filled the inner courtyard as nearly a dozen students began either engaging their targets or pursuers. A Slytherin boy conjured a wall of snow to slow his target's escape while a Gryffindor boy leapt behind a stone bench only to have the bench crash into him.

With a flick of his wrist, Percy Weasley removed the captured Gryffindor, lifting him to one of the nearby balconies that overlooked the courtyard. The eliminated boy's golden orb quickly shifted his capturer.

The fountain had shifted again, creating a third wall. It was Colin Creevy who discovered the secret of the enchanted ice as he literally stumbled into a wall, his legs not entirely under his control as a result of a jelly-leg jinx his pursuer had hit him with. Rather than simply hitting the wall, he was instantly teleported to the second wall on the other side of the inner courtyard. The surface of the wall that he'd disappeared into cracked, preventing his pursuer from following him through.

There were ten sets of walls within the inner courtyard by the time the next student was captured. Three other students had been teleported through an icy mirror in that time, making it harder for their pursuers to capture them. The enchanted ice was meant to test the fourth year students' endurance as well as their skill and knowledge.

After thirty minutes only four students had been captures/eliminated. Pursuers had slowly started to destroy or at least obstruct the walls before engaging their targets. Short, running duels were scattered throughout the exam area as the icy mirrors were either destroyed or blocked faster than new ones appeared.

Only a dozen students had been captured by the forty five minute mark. Most were the result of opportunistic pursuers ambushing nearly exhausted targets that had spent themselves in their own attempts to capture their target. It was proving difficult for the fourth years as they balanced resting with the threat of being exposed to their pursuer.

The youngest Weasley finally made her move as it was clear that the rest of her class had exhausted themselves. Having slipped away early in the exam, she had cast an illusion spell on herself, taking up the appearance of her target. It was a simple but effective strategy as few fourth years had the time to actually cast a spell to see through an illusion and had little opportunity to do so. Expending only a bit of energy to maintain the spell she was able to rest while her peers exhausted themselves. Annabell Runcorn was quickly subdued with body-bind, giving Ginny her first capture.

By the time the fountain water had stopped a baker's dozen remained. The fourth years had understood their limitations, thus few had rushed into long, drawn out duels settling as they had during their first exam at the beginning of the term.

"Well done," Ranma said as he looked over the remaining players. "Those of you who made it through to the end have passed. Those who didn't will need to give me twenty inches on why you were captured and what you could have done to make it to the end of the exam – due before you leave for holiday."

There were audible groans from the fourth years that had failed. Still, none questioned or protested the results of the exam. "Oh, and for each of you that remain, you have earned ten points for your house for each orb you captured."

Word of the exam had reached the sixth years as they strolled into the courtyard after lunch. Unlike the other courses and instructors, Professor Saotome tended to employ similar exams across the board regardless of year. The enchanted dummies were able to emulate many magical creatures as well as endure stunning spells, jinxes, and common curses. Thus it was no surprise that the sixth year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were dressed for some running and dueling.

"I am sure that you all know the Junior Inquisitor," the young professor stated as he addressed the class. "He will aid me in supervising your end of term exam. There will be only two grades – pass or fail." With a flick of his wrist he levitated two score of golden orbs so that they floated before each student. "In the globe you will find the name of someone in this class. Your goal is to capture the globe from the person whose name I have provided you. Once you capture their globe they are eliminated and you will then be tasked with capturing the person named in their globe. If you are captured, the person that captured you will receive your globe as well as any orbs that you posses. Do you all understand?"

Everyone nodded.

"Now, take the orb before you. When the fountain sprays water the exam begins – when it stops running the exam is over. Those of you who still have your globe will pass; those who have you're your orb or been eliminated will have failed."

The sixth years each claimed their respective orbs, eying the name that appeared to them before slowly spreading themselves out along the inner section of the courtyard.

The fountain began spraying and the sixth years were off. The Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws had a different rivalry than the Gryffindors and Slytherins – this was a battle between two work ethics.

Of course it was a Ravenclaw that tested the enchanted ice blocks. Rather than teleporting the person that touched the ice, the enchanted block filled area around the person that activated it with mist before dissipating. The student had vanished, temporarily hidden from the others by a disillusionment charm.

This time the fountain's enchantment did not favor the pursued as it had for the fourth years but could be used by both the pursued and the pursuers. The quickest of wit understood their predicament and began targeting the ground – piling up the snow to reveal footprints or setting wards to protect against the unseen.

The sixth years were much more aggressive in their pursuit of their targets than the fourth years. Not only did they have greater magical reserves, they also had more spells to use. Several conjured flocks of birds to harass their opponents, others enchanted the shrubs and snow, a few created puddles that froze instantly whenever someone stepped into the liquid. The Ravenclaws had a great variety of spells that they employed, some much more successful than others while the Hufflepuffs tended to have simple but effective spells.

By the end of the exam only ten students remained. The grueling 90 minute exam was more than most were capable of enduring. Most had been captured after the 75 minute mark despite the fact that they had not engaged in constant and consistent duels the entire time. It was a glaring weakness that experienced duelists would manage to exploit.

* * *

Never in his relatively short life had Ranma Saotome felt so proud. The creation of a new magic circle was an achievement that few sorcerers had accomplished throughout the history of magic. His own had been created and mastered before he'd completed the trek across Asia, but to see one of his own students create his own circle was unthinkable.

"Am I correct in assuming that young Neville is using a sorcerer's circle?" The Headmaster had offered to help oversee the fifth year's exam. There was a reason why the man had defeated one of the most notorious dark wizards in history and even Voldemort was said to fear him. With his decades of experience it was clear that little escaped his attention.

"He was never selected by a wand, merely given his father's," Ranma explained. They watched as the Gryffindors and Slytherins scrambled around the enchanted courtyard. The fifth years were ten minutes into their exam and unlike the other end of term exams Ranma had provided each student with an icy orb that turned varying shades of green to signify that they were close to their target.

Hermione had been the first to deduce who her initial target was – Millicant Bode – and had subdued the other girl with a full-body bind before shattering the Slytherian's orb with a well placed hex. This despite or because of the fact that the fifth years had been scattered throughout the courtyard before the start of the exam.

The fifth years were split between grouping together and splitting up thus there were a few small clusters of two or three and many more individuals moving towards others cautiously to see if their orbs reacted to the presence of whomever they came close to. The groups that had formed generally along house lines, but that had changed once a few students realized that their initial targets were from their house. Most opted to work together to deal with the threat.

Harry, Neville, Theodore and Blaise formed an alliance and they managed deduce whom their initial respective targets were and proceeded to take out Draco Malfoy (Theodore), Daphne Greengrass (Neville), Vincent Crabbe (Blaise) and Padma Patil (Harry). Their actions weakened the largest Slytherin group while also splintering the group of Gryffindor girls.

Another group, this one consisting of the remaining Gryffindor boys, Ron, Seamus, and Dean, who managed to fend off Hermione even as Seamus eliminated Gregory Goyle. It was only when Dean eliminated Pansy Parkinson that his orb seemed to indicate that his next target was one of the other boys. Rather than splitting the group, the trio opted to continue working together.

"It seems that they are content to ally themselves," Ranma stated.

"Yes," the Headmaster said with a smile, "though the most notable group is a mixed one."

Seeing the effectiveness of the groups, Hermione moved to ally herself with the other Gryffindor boys and their allies. Unfortunately the dwindling number of students worked against her as the group was content with their current personal and was not looking to expand. The groups were able to conserve especially when working against individuals. Rather than an all-out melee they were opting for more control and patience.

Neville in particular opted to avoid engaging anyone -instead he cast spells that affected the area. He turned the air into sulfuric gas that choked any who would approach them, created creatures out of snow and ice to harass and defend, but he never pointed his wand at anyone. The rest of his quartet took advantage of his assistance almost as though they had practiced together.

"It seems that some of your students planned ahead," the Headmaster surmised.

The young professor nodded. The three Gryffindor boys had been the first to gather, then the mixed group of Slytherin and Gryffindor boys, and finally the rest of the Slytherins. They had rushed, paying little heed for their own momentary safety but taking note of how their orbs reacted to the presence of the other students. It was how Hermione had managed to deduce her initial target as the Slytherin girl had failed to consider the Gryffindor Prefect as she rushed to gather with the other Slytherin Girls.

As a whole, the fifth years had been more cautious in their dueling compared to the other classes and years. They understood their limits better and thus they had formed alliances, taking only calculated risks as they dueled their classmates with the aid of their allies. It was no surprise then that the exam ended with just over a third of the class retaining their orbs. The remaining students were panting with exhaustion but none were spent.

"Well done," his praise was rare but deserved. "Ten points to each of you for eliminating each target and another twenty five a piece for making it to the end of the exam."

The exam itself was boring, but had taken a bit to stage. Each of the exams had followed the same principle but it was only the final one that had resulted in any teamwork. "Twenty five points to each of you who formed a team and endured.

"Those of you who made it through to the end have passed. Those who were eliminated – I graded you by the accumulation of spells that you cast – three points for each successfully cast defensive spell, two for each successfully cast offensive spell, and additional points based on your decision making and performance while you were active. I've posted the results outside my classroom."

Several fifth years glanced at each other then at him as they pondered how he'd managed to be in two places at once. "Those who did not pass will need to give me twenty inches on why you were captured and what you could have done to make it to the end of the exam – due by the last day of the term."

The bell tolled signaling the end of the double lesson. "Now, enjoy the weekend."

He was proud, not only of his apprentices, but of the students as a whole. They were progressing and improving. Only the a third of the class had failed mostly because they had not sufficient time to earn enough points to pass the exam.

The glow of pride remained at dinner as he discussed his exam with Professor Snape.

"I admit that I was surprised by the result of your exam," the potions master stated.

Ranma nodded, "I believe several of your house were holding back – they waited too long before taking action or perhaps opted to not act for whatever reason. Are they perhaps spying on the snake that I shelter?"

The Head of Slytherin merely poured himself a healthy portion of pumpkin juice, "Hardly, such a ploy would not be smart under the watchful eye of the Headmaster – no, it is likely that the dorms are fragmented and the new alliances are being formed. As Theodore's recognized guardian I suppose you will have an opportunity to see the lines yourself at the Malfoy's annual New Year's Party."

While he had received something from the Malfoys on an eagle-owl, Ranma had yet to open the envelop much less read the invitation within.

"I am sure there are many there who would make the most of an opportunity to see and speak with the guardian of the Longbottom, Nott, and Potter heirs," the other professor added, a hint of caution in the man's usually monotonous voice.

It was clear that someone had been reading up on Centaur law. As a wizard leading a recognized centaur pack it was expected that he and his wards were to attend, failure to do so could be taken as a slight against the host.

"Still, I surmise that there are many parents who would want to question you about the progress of their children in your lessons," Snape added. "They will likely have questions about the end of term exam in particular."

For a moment the potions professor eyed the fare surrounding his peer's plate, taking note of the piles of chicken bones that had accumulated. "I must admit, I have grown slightly accustomed to seeing odd dishes being prepared for you – raw fish, delicately rolled egg, sausages cut to appear like octopi, rolls of rice and seaweed, various fried food…."

"Ah, this," Ranma sighed contently, "Fried chicken from KFC." Though he did not verbalize it there was a skeptical look on the other man's face. "It's a no-mag company that is renowned for deep frying chicken. There is something special about the blend of herbs and spices in the seasoning and breading. In Japan it is referred to as 'Kentucky For Christmas'."

"A way to go to the Americas for the holidays?" there was a hint of skeptical distain in his tone.

The martial artist nodded, "A clever ploy by greedy Americans upon impressionable people who sought to remove the stain of their past and embrace the culture of their conquerors. I do believe that the Headmaster thinks that everyone in Japan enjoys a barrel of fried chicken during the Christmas holiday. It comes from the fact that we know little of Christmas so have slowly taken to emulating Americans for Christmas.

"In Japan Christmas not a holiday where the family spends time together. It is actually more renowned as a romantic night for young couples."

"So as a newly-wed wizard you will be spending the holiday with your young wife," the other professor finished a wistfulness in his tone that most would have missed. "But do not forget that here Christmas is a holiday for the entire family."

Ranma nodded. He was not sure how the boy felt but it was clear that the loss of his parents had affected him. Had he focused on creating his magic circle so that he could avoid his emotions? Having never been in such a situation, Ranma could not relate. Their talks had all been directed towards various fighting techniques or magic – never on how he was dealing with such a loss.

They continued to talk of the differences in how their respective nations celebrated the holiday until the meal was completed. As the last Hogsmeade trip of the term most of the older students were heading into town to purchase last minute gifts or for a break from their end of term exams. Some were headed out on dates, but most were making plans with their trusted group of friends, especially after what had happened during the last Hogsmeade trip.

He spotted Neville as the tall fifth year hovered towards the edge of his crowd. While he often spent time with the rest of the pack, he was usually in the company of Theodore. Nott was also facing a Christmas without his father as the wizard had yet to be seen since his mysterious disappearance at the end of October.

Excusing himself from the table, Ranma dashed to catch up with his two sulking apprentices. "Longbottom, Nott," he called out, stopping not only the pair but the group of students that they were with, "I need to talk with the two of you." Pulling the two youths aside he led them towards one of the towers that only the older students could access.

"Good job today," he said, unsure how to broach the subject.

"Thank you," Neville replied.

Nott shrugged, "You've come to talk to us about the Malfoy's annual New Year's Party, haven't you, sir?"

Ranma nodded.

Neville sighed, "The party is ever so dreadful."

"While that might be true, it is expected that we attend. I expect the two of you to find dates. I'll let Harry know as well."

Both boys were showing their age as they baulked at the idea. "We will need to put our best foot forward, and should we need to crack a few skulls, we'll need some capable back-up – preferably someone not in the pack."

Theodore nodded, "So only the three of us because we're the oldest or because we're actually considered to legally be your wards?"

"Both," the professor replied with a grin. "If you don't find dates by the end of the term I'll find suitable dates for you. I'm only getting dragged into this because of the three of you, so I'm going to make sure that you three are just as miserable as I am."

The pair were used to his pettiness, as were all of his apprentices. Shaking their heads, they set off to find suitable dates for their master's next challenge.

After an evening of uneventful patrolling, Ranma returned to his chambers. Only the most skillful of older students were capable of sneaking around the castle without being caught by the teachers, ghosts, or paintings. Still, with the Hogsmeade trip in the morning the students had settled into their dorms for the night.

It was not until he had completed his evening misogi that he heard the echoes of rapidly approaching footsteps. Rather than transforming back into his male body, Ranma quickly donned dry clothes and rushed to meet Professor Sprout.

"Professor Saotome," the stout little witch huffed.

"What is it Professor Sprout?"

Placing a steadying hand on the wall she forced air into her lungs. "The Headmaster requests your presence – something about Potter."

He nodded. In a flash he found himself standing outside of the Headmaster's office, the griffin statue stepping aside to allow him in. "Professor Saotome," the grizzled old wizard muttered.

"Headmaster," he returned even as he scanned the dark office. "Harry?"

His newest disciple was pale, covered in a cold sweat and struggling to catch his breath. "S-sensei."

"What's going on?"

"Your ward can explain things to you once you're alone," Dumbledore said as he eyed the empty portraits along the wall. "I am sending you to the most secure place I know."

The martial artist placed his hand on his ward, "No!" For a moment the slight distrust between the two surfaced. The Headmaster though himself a general capable of dispatching his troops but Ranma was not one to take orders idly as he was not one to be a pawn in anyone else's schemes. "I will take my wards somewhere I deem safe."

"The High Inquisitor is coming," Dumbledore cautioned.

"I shall deal with her," the defense professor stated. "Come Harry, I'll take you somewhere safe."


	14. Chapter 14

Author's Notes –

Yes, I get that having the kids swim with weights is physically impossible, but in the magical world of Harry Potter and Ranma ½ it is possible. Witches/wizards have an innate magical ability that protects them, i.e. Neville bouncing after being dropped from a window by his uncle, Harry suddenly teleporting to the top of the school, etc. Ranma was training his apprentices' innate magic to adjust for the weights by making them more buoyant while they swam.

On a side note – prayers to all those who are affected by the weather, natural disasters, and acts of human cruelty and ignorance. We are all part of this world and while most do not agree on how it should be managed/handled, we should all respect each other's rights.

* * *

The chilly winter air seemed a fitting analogy for the relations between the Order of The Phoenix and the foreign coalition. While Ranma himself was rather trusting, he was glad that the old ghoul was well versed in the political double-speak and dealings. She was certain that Dumbledore wasn't sharing vital information, and the bit about the prophecy had been useful but there was more to it than the old wizard was letting on. That Harry was now one of his apprentices and part of his pack gave the cursed martial artist more leeway into the daily life of the youth.

But Harry was one of six, though only the three oldest seemed to need him act as a legal guardian. Neville still had his grandmother, though she was currently incapacitated and recovering from the injuries she'd sustained when the Death Eaters had attacked months ago; Theodore Nott Sr. was still missing; and Harry's closest relatives were No-Mag and thus had no voice in the magical world.

Normally the gender cursed mage got along well with the other members of the Order, but today was anything but normal. St. Mungo's had increased their security following the murder of the Longbottoms by the Death Eaters and the fact that Sirius Black was still a wanted wizard forced him to remain hidden in the Order's secret headquarters. While his apprentices were all bound to him, he did not have to share with them all his secrets. Still, it made planning for the holidays difficult as he could not bring Neville and Theodore to the Order's headquarters and he would not have any of the Order see or know his secrets.

Ranma Saotome was no stranger to the chill of winter, even a winter in England, as he had traveled through much of the world while learning the Art as instructed by his father. Now it was his turn to instruct his apprentices and take them out into the world, though currently he only had the three oldest with him.

He stood before them with a mixture of pride and anxiety, watching as Happosai inspected the trio. The diminutive Grandmaster had a critical eye that leaned heavily on his centuries of experience. This was but the second time that Ranma had ever seen the old man take his role as Grandmaster seriously.

"There's something off about the dark one," Happosai stated as he watched the trio of older students spar with Genma.

"His father is a Death Eater," Ranma replied.

"Not the tall one, the one with the scar," the grand master corrected. "It's more than just being marked by something evil. It could corrupt him."

The young master nodded, "He does perform the Misogi more often than the others and he has mentioned that he sometimes feels as though he has a connection to what's-his-name…. the old geezer that gave him the scar – Voldemort – yeah, that guy."

More wrinkles appeared on the ancient mage's head as he considered the facts. "It does not help that the boy has dangerous enemies."

"I came here knowing that people would think I was on Dumbledore's side," Ranma stated. "Having enemies is nothing new to me."

Happosai shook his head, "I suppose so, but none of them were ever as evil and malicious as this one. Plus, he maybe your enemy but he must be defeated and killed by Harry.

"I know that you frown upon the notion of taking a life needlessly, but the prophecy clearly states that one cannot live while the other survives. If he is to emerge victorious he'll need to kill Voldemort."

Ranma felt himself clinching his jaw as he bit back a retort.

"Let me take the boy for the rest of the holiday," Happosai suggested. "I'll take the Nott boy over the Easter holiday and Longbottom sometime over the summer, not that he seems to need it right now."

The Dark Lord did not sleep. That was a known fact. He was above sleeping. There were more important things for him to do than sleep. First and foremost was acquiring the cursed prophecy and not just the fragments that his agent had uncovered. No, there had to be something about the prophecy that explained why Harry Potter had managed to managed to avoid being killed all those years ago and why he had managed to escape earlier in the year.

His faithful were useful but unfortunately none of them had access to the Department of Mysteries and the Hall of Prophecies in particular. According to Rookwood, only those named on the prophecy could retrieve it. There was no way that he could access the Ministry, not until his forces had actually succeeded in wrestling control of it from the fool of a minister. Though Fudge was a fool, he was a paranoid one who had placed many precautions to prevent those loyal or even favorable of Dumbledore from gaining any foothold within the Ministry. The security check points inspected each wand for any detection of the Unforgivable Curses, limiting where the Death Eaters would be able to use the Imperious Curse on the other officials and administrators.

His other option was to find a capable seerer or oracle who could divine some insight on the prophecy. Unfortunately there were few who practiced divination in all of Europe - the most notable of which were currently teaching – one at Hogwarts and the other at Beauxbatons. Snape could not access Trelawny as Dumbledore had gone to great lengths to defend her, and he had no agents in the French school.

The thought of Beauxbatons suddenly filled his mind with alluring young maidens in silky, form fitting robes. He could feel his heart pacing even as the image of the maidens became more vivid in his mind. Breath caught in his throat as the maidens' robes were discarded, revealing their lustrous, untouched skin and the lacy undergarments that protected their modesty.

He felt an urge growing within him as he tried to clear his mind. The past months had been peaceful, but in the past week he could not look at his hostess Narcissa without mentally stripping them. The feelings were not alien to him, even in this new body, but the source was. He'd never been attracted to women, and only a few of his Death Eaters knew of his orientation. In the past he had favored Rodolphus and his wife Bellatrix, but their time in Azkaban had aged them considerably. Now he favored Lucius and his wife Narcissa.

"Find Potter," he ordered his faithful, interrupting Lucius' report on the missing Nott. "Find his new teacher, or make sure that I can access the Department of Ministries so that I may retrieve the prophecy! I do not want reports of your progress only reports of your success!"

The Death Eaters cowered in their seats.

"Go!" he hissed.

All of the masked figures quickly pulled away from the table before shuffling out of the room. Only one remained. "Lucius."

"My lord," the man returned meekly.

This was the only way for him to rid himself of those strange urges. "I have need of your services."

* * *

Never in his short life had he realized how grueling his training could truly be. He'd thought it difficult under his sensei, but as he'd learned over the course of the past few years was that with magic much was possible. In the past few days though he'd quickly learned that even without magic much was possible. His master's training had taught him to push past his preconceived notions of the limitations of his body, his grandmaster's training taught him to exploit the limitations of other people's narrow minds. It was no wonder that wizards could evade Muggles as they tended to overlook much, but even witches and wizards could be narrow minded and were prone to overlook things.

He himself added another item to his list of things that his future house would need so as to prevent someone from sneaking into it. Chimneys were a necessity in the magical community as they not only allowed the smoke out of the fireplace but they could be used to communicate and travel once they were connected to the Floo network. Unfortunately they allowed a skilled climber to access the house as well. It was easy for the grandmaster as he was smaller than a goblin but for Harry the chimneys were a tighter fit.

"Don't get any soot on the darlings," the grandmaster chided.

Exhaling, he pulled himself out of the window before extracting the bag of women's underwear he'd procured and then closing the window silently. His victim, a pretty witch only a few years out of Hogwarts, had been busy in the bath, leaving her bedroom unguarded. She would likely return to her bedroom to find that her underwear had mysteriously vanished.

"Seventeen seconds," Happosai sighed, "you're taking far too long. We need to move."

Harry nodded as he handed over the package.

Happosai snatched it up even as he bounded off the wall and propelled himself up to the roof, "I've already cleared out the rest of the block in the same amount of time that you took on one house."

Few would report the theft of their undergarments, at least lately. There had been nothing in the Prophet about his activities over the past week and he was grateful for that.

"You've made some progress," the ancient grandmaster stated. "Still, I think that you develop best under pressure, not through simple training."

Harry didn't like the sound of that. The last time the grandmaster had said something like that was when he'd left Harry a locker of the bathhouse.

The empty storage locker that the grandmaster had chosen as their lair for the night was along the edge of a residential area, far enough for privacy but close enough for the old master to find more prey for his lecherous and perverted activities. The locker was completely bare with cold steel walls and equally cold cement.

The appropriation of women's undergarments was, well, nothing he'd ever want to admit to. Nor was the fact that he was reduced to using some, well, more than some really, to cover enough of the floor and some to blanket him so as to keep out the cold.

Visions of the nubile young witches – the true owners of his loot – filled his impressionable mind as he closed his eyes. It was far worse without the daily purification and rinses that he'd grown accustomed to while at Hogwarts, then again, he'd seen more in the past few days than he'd ever seen while at school though he did not have Seamus or Dean talking up the various girls. He missed the company, but was also glad that they were not here as he polished his wand.

* * *

The soaring ceiling of Malfoy Manor's great hall was meant to give the impression of wide, vast space despite the crowd of nearly a hundred that were present. In truth only a three dozen could comfortably dine in the hall and the rest of the guests were forced to snack in the attached rooms as they mingled. It was subtle attempt to mark the status of the guests as only the heads of the Sacred Twenty-eight houses were invited to dine while the rest were simply left to wander through the attached rooms. It was also expected that all attendees were to arrive at least half an hour before dinner was served least one want to offend the representatives of the Sacred Twenty-eight.

Nott had been the one to explain the significance of the Malfoy's annual New Year's party as he had attended it three of the past four years. Both Neville and Theodore were expected to attend the dinner as the heads of their respective houses. Despite the expectations the reality was that Neville and his grandmother had not attended the Malfoy party. As the legal guardian for both Neville and Theodore, Ranma was expected to take either seat, should he attend the party.

While he did not like to follow rules, Ranma knew that there were times when he needed to at least display some social etiquette.

He was glad for his shorter stature for once as it allowed him to be lost in the sea of people while also allowing him to keep an eye on the towering Neville and Theodore. He could tell that there were many looks directed at him as he was new to these events and because of his position as the guardian of the two youths that had accompanied him.

Some approached Theodore, offering words of encouragement or even telling stories of their time with his missing father. They too let their eyes drift over him as they took his measure.

The gentle ringing of a small but enchanted bell announced that the special guests could begin taking their seats at the table and for everyone else to move out of the great hall. Ranma accompanied Neville and Theodore to their seats even as he noted that one other youth was making his way to the table. Draco Malfoy stood by one of the twenty eight chairs even as his father stood behind another.

"He sits at the chair for House Black," Theodore whispered.

Ranma nodded, then strode towards the Malfoy heir.

"Pardon me," a man with stringy brown hair said as he noticed Ranma's advance, "these seats are reserved for the representatives of the Sacred Twenty-eight."

"He probably thinks that he's entitled to a seat," a witch remarked drawing several snickers.

"I am a representative," Ranma interjected, "for House Black." All eyes suddenly turned to focus on him. "I am the guardian for Harry Potter, the heir to Siruis Black, the last male of House Black." He was used to the death stares and glares from his time as an upstart challenger during his dojo challenging days when he'd distract the dojo master so that his father could steal their secret scrolls. Of course he didn't find out until later that his challenges were meant to be a distraction and he always took the challenges seriously, just as seriously as he was challenging the Malfoys in their own manor before all their guests.

"Sirius Black is a convicted Death Eater," someone muttered.

"So Death Eaters aren't allowed here?" he asked for clarification. He knew his choice of words had caught more than a few unprepared. Lucius Malfoy was the esteemed host after all, who would dare challenge him?

"Sirius Black is on the run from the Ministry," Lucius stated finally.

"So you seat his nephew in his spot?" Ranma remarked. "Do you perhaps speak for your uncle?"

Draco opened his mouth but suddenly shut it as he glanced at his father. "Please," the youth said as he offered a polite bow, "have a seat."

* * *

"In my defense," Harry said as he eyed his friends, "I couldn't ignore my grandmaster's request, and neither could Master Saotome."

He'd anticipated facing a semi-hostile Weasley line-up upon his eventual return to Hogwarts, and though he did not look forward to it he knew what he was in store for. What he had not expected was facing them and several members of the Order after having failed to obtain Ginny's undergarments.

"That doesn't explain why you're here," Mrs. Weasley said as she restrained her husband.

"Yeah," George (or was it Fred) chimed in.

"Why do you have Ginny's knickers?" the other twin finished.

"This isn't part of the advanced training, is it?" Ginny asked as realization began to sink in.

Harry could feel his face flush as the Grandmaster's enchantment prevented him from divulging too much. "Sort of" he started unsure how to explain himself "the Grandmaster is instructing me how to Apparate the way elves do."

"And how did you end up in Ginny's room?" one of the twins asked.

"I'm not sure exactly," he replied honestly. "I actually did not expect you lot to be here. The Grandmaster said that I had to apparate here but somehow I found myself expelled from the drawer."

"So you'll spend the rest of the holiday with us," Ron concluded as he returned his wand to his pocket and moved to guide his best mate out of his sister's guest room.

"I'm going to have to look into the protections on this house," Sirius added as he considered the displaced drawer. "Clearly witches and wizards can't get in, but Harry's been given the secret, still, he shouldn't be able to apparate directly into this house"

"Unless he is learning how to use elvish magic," Mr. Weasley interjected. "How is that possible?"

"I'm still trying to figure that out myself sir," Harry answered.

"We were afraid that your Sensei had you locked in a cage or sold you off to the Death Eaters," Sirius joked. "And when he made an appearance at the Malfoy's New Year's party… well…."

"They actually went?" Harry exclaimed. "What happened?"

"Your Sensei claimed to chair to House Black," his god-father answered with a smirk. "Said that as you are my legal heir, and he is your guardian, he has the cleanest claim to the chair. The Malfoy's weren't happy with that, and a duel was issued." He paused, letting his words "Let's just say that Lucius is trying to grow a spine."

Harry's eyes boggled, "Sensei turned him into a human pretzel!"

"I wish I could have seen it," Ron exclaimed.

"Needless to say," Sirius cut back in "the party didn't make it past the duel."

* * *

A/N

Sorry, I'm going to have to end it here for now.

Tax season has begun.

Dreamingfox


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